


We're Superhuman!

by 2amcoffeerants (fullsunx)



Series: We're Superhuman! [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crime Fighting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, Friends to Lovers, How many sad backstories can I fit in one fic, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Mentions of wayv but that's a whole other fic entirely, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pseudoscience, Roommates, Secret Identity, Some Elements of Science Fiction, implied renmin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 78,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24014974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fullsunx/pseuds/2amcoffeerants
Summary: What happens when you put undercover agent Mark Lee of NCT and masked vigilante Lee Donghyuck in a dorm together? Apparently lots of cuddling on the sofa, nonstop quarrelling while trying to kick each other’s asses, and just overall chaos. (The order not guaranteed)Or:Two clueless idiots who are both dealing with typical problems of a newly enrolled university student: exams, falling in love with your roommate (and sworn enemy, but they don’t know that), and you know, having a secret identity.(This is actually quite plot heavy if you're into that)
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Series: We're Superhuman! [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1732144
Comments: 158
Kudos: 216





	1. A Secret Identity I: Lee Donghyuck

**Author's Note:**

> A long story... I had expected this to be 65k but as I'm writing this it's more now... I'm so sorry if the tags/archive warnings aren't correct or if you think I should add more, let me know and if I think it's appropriate I'll change them! I'm also going to be adding tags as the story progresses.
> 
> I've included some epigraphs with general information on the world building/characters that I thought would ruin the flow if I added them elsewhere. Treat them sort of like a manual/character profile! Eventually there'll be plot points that will make sense if you've read the previous ones.
> 
> Also I understand that I have a lot of tags, so for people who don't read those/only skim here's my sole warning: There will be implied/referenced/mentioned character death, and it will be someone from NCT. There are no graphic descriptions or anything, but if you're not a fan of that or it may be potentially triggering for you I would kindly ask you to prioritize your own mental health! There are plenty of other awesome fics out there, and nonetheless thank you for stopping by 😌
> 
> Anyway, I'm extremely excited to post this, I'd be very happy if anyone enjoys this as well :) If you liked this at all, I'd love to hear your thoughts or even a kudos!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lee Donghyuck: Incoming NCTU student. Currently: Excited to find someone to carry him through his engineering degree (He's joking).

### Abilities: Part I

Every person is born with an innate potential to wield powers, simply called “abilities”. They can almost seem supernatural as mankind has yet to provide a plausible explanation despite years of studying these manifestations in human beings.

However, the science discourse has found the mechanisms in specific neural circuits (made up of special nerve cells named DTH) that do not die after birth.

Except for the high heritability of DTH cells, we have yet to uncover how these cells work and why there is a discrepancy of activity between individuals. Due to the volatility of these abilities, NCT, the Federal Agency of Neural Competency, was formed to be the authority regarding “supernatural” incidents in Korea.

NCT, the Federal Agency of Neural Competency, assesses each individual in terms of the following factors to categorize an individual’s overall strength from a level from 0 to 10:

1\. An abilities’ natural limits (also known as the Baseline): This is set from birth (and is highly heritable from parents), although the science behind the differentiation of abilities is not yet scientifically known. Most abilities do not reveal themselves until puberty. A data chart for the baseline score for common abilities is available, and a very brief table excerpt is displayed below to show the breadth of abilities individuals may have.

**Table 1: Excerpt from the ability baseline score database. Authorized redistribution by NCT.**

_Ability_

| 

_Ability type_

| 

_Baseline score_  
  
---|---|---  
  
Complete song knowledge

| 

Other

| 

0.3  
  
Animal Communication

| 

Biological

| 

2.3  
  
Temperature change

| 

Manipulation

| 

2.3  
  
Lie detection

| 

Mental

| 

3.0  
  
Accelerated Movement

| 

Enhancement/Embodiment

| 

3.2  
  
Acid Immunity

| 

Biological

| 

3.8  
  
Fire Wielder

| 

Enhancement/Embodiment

| 

4.2  
  
Levitation

| 

Manipulation

| 

4.6  
  
Fire Manipulation

| 

Manipulation

| 

4.9  
  
Molecular Manipulation

| 

Manipulation

| 

5.4  
  
_Biological_ : Abilities with the interaction of biological species. Usually referring to non-human species.

 _Enhancement/Embodiment_ : Mimicry, changing the users’ own characteristic/property, all fall into this category. Ability users in this category usually call themselves "wielders". Note: They are different from manipulators as they cannot change the environment, and only themselves.

 _Manipulation_ : Changing a property in the environment. Just as how wielders can only change themselves, manipulators can only change the environment.

 _Mental_ : Mind-related abilities. Usually referring to humans.

 _Other_ : Miscellaneous abilities the agency is unable to categorize into the above fields. People can apply to be categorized in one of the above if appropriate justification is given in the categorization application.

2\. Stamina: This factor is considered for manipulators and embodiment-type powers (as well as a few other special cases considered by the federal agency). Operationally defined as “the duration and effect an ability-user can wield their powers for”. Similarly to physical exercise, it can be trained and increased.

3\. Individual skill: An individual user’s magnitude and precisional use of their ability. It can be improved with practice and training. Many people choose to study the science behind their power to have a better understanding of their ability (and therefore utilize their abilities in more innovative ways) to increase their score in this category.

4\. Potential: The Federal Agency understands that there are special cases where specific abilities can become extremely potent under certain circumstances or specific uses. This is reviewed by the board of abilities on an individual basis if see fit.

Based on the categories above, an individual is ranked, 0 indicating an individual having no ability whatsoever. The agency mandates that children must be tested at the age of 10 and once again at the age of 16. An annual check for individuals who are ranked level 6 and above is mandatory, and failure to comply will result in legal consequences.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

To say Donghyuck was excited was an understatement.

He’s admitted to the university of his dreams as one of the two students with a full ride scholarship in this admission cycle, and he couldn’t be ready-er. (He knows it's not a word, but he's not a language major, so.)

His heart is thrumming with excitement, and he’s donning a pair of new shoes and a comfortable NCTU hoodie. Casual, but a good sort of casual— like he’s not trying too hard but still dressed to impress.

The whirlwind blur of university campus buildings passes quickly as Dongyoung, who is currently driving a rented van with all of Donghyuck's stuff, concludes lesson 152 of what not to do at university. The topics so far have ranged from the good old days when Dongyoung was an engineering major to not letting hookups use Donghyuck for their electricity kink; Donghyuck isn't sure he wants to hear anymore after that one.

“Yes, Dongyoung-hyung, I'm going to call you my Dad if you don't stop acting like one.” Donghyuck cuts him off to hopefully put a stop to his “lessons”. Dongyoung continues his rant anyways, turning the wheel with as much vigour as his lecturing.

“I know you’re a good kid, but don’t party too much, focus on your classes, achieve your goals, yeah?”

“Yes Dad, I don’t want my scholarship to get revoked either, or I’m going to be homeless— How would I afford to live on campus if not for my scholarship privileges? I even got the fancy dorm with the living room and everything!” Donghyuck grins, legs swinging back and forth from his side of the van.

“Well, if you do find yourself at risk of losing your scholarship, you can ask me for help in your classes… Though I doubt you’ll need it.” Dongyoung frowns in annoyance after realizing what Donghyuck had called him.

“Well, you _are_ talking to the major NCTU scholarship recipient here. Wouldn’t have gotten it if I hadn’t worked my ass off, but hey, my academics clearly aren’t too bad!” Donghyuck replies casually.

The van eventually slows down in front of a large apartment-like building, rows of windows lining the walls. Unable to withhold his excitement, Donghyuck hops out the van before it fully comes to a stop. He immediately jogs up to what looks like the front of the apartment complex and he takes in the details of his new home for the next few years.

Like the rest of the university, the exterior of the building is built with the newest technology and has a clear modern feel to it. In contrast, the front entrance has a homey-brick ambience, vines intertwining the two pillars on both sides of the glass doors.

The hustle of other students and what looks to be volunteers surround him, and the occasional levitating pile of boxes and furniture enter to and from the building. Eventually, Donghyuck finds what seems to be the volunteer overlooking the move-ins and heads over.

The volunteer (Jihyo, Donghyuck notices from her name tag) clearly looks very busy talking to what appears to be another incoming student so Donghyuck is okay with waiting for her to finish up. But Jihyo quickly swipes a finger to call up her holoscreen that immediately displays Donghyuck’s student ID the moment she notices his presence, and seemingly decides to help Donghyuck first.

“You must be Lee Donghyuck! The 6.8 NCTU major scholarship recipient, yes? Bring me to your van and I’ll get everything into your flat right now.” Donghyuck can see the slight irritation flash across the other student’s eyes, but they stay silent.

“Yes, but you can finish helping the other stude—”

“No worries, if I’m not helping them someone else will eventually. Let’s head over to your stuff, shall we?” The volunteer pushes him away in what is probably meant to be a friendly gesture, and Donghyuck can only give the other student an apologetic smile and mouth a quick sorry before being whisked towards the parked vehicles.

“So, Lee Donghyuck, what are you studying?”

“Engineering, I’m hoping to specialize in Ele—”

“Oh, does that have something to do with your ability? You didn't state your ability on your ID even though almost nobody actually does that!” Jihyo interrupts, overly excited at getting to know him.

“Heh, I just don’t want my level or ability to deter people from becoming my friend—”

“Who wouldn’t want to be friends with a 6.8? I’m speaking as a 5.9, you’ll have no trouble with that, I guarantee—”

“Here’s the van, Jihyo-ssi.” Donghyuck gives a tight-lipped smile, arm gesturing to Dongyoung who had finished moving the majority of the boxes out onto the sidewalk.

“Ah, yes,” Jihyo focuses on the actual reason she is here and reaches out to shake Dongyoung's hand enthusiastically.

“You must be Donghyuck's father, it's _very_ nice to meet you.” Donghyuck almost bursts out laughing at Jihyo referring to Dongyoung as his father, something Dongyoung had adamantly refused to be called just moments ago.

“Oh no, I'm just Donghyuck's close friend, Kim Dongyoung.” Dongyoung replies in a fluster.

Jihyo pauses, seemingly waiting for Dongyoung to finish his introduction, then gingerly releases her hand when she realizes that there isn't more.

“A friend, I see.” She keeps up her smile, but Donghyuck can see the slight change in the look of her eyes.

“Okay Donghyuck, these are all the boxes?” Jihyo returns to talking to Donghyuck, facing the boxes Dongyoung had unloaded.

Donghyuck nods politely, and she immediately brings up both her arms, gesturing over to the boxes as her eyes start emitting a forest green glow. All the boxes easily lift off the ground, startling Dongyoung. She then turns towards Donghyuck, gesturing towards the main entrance as she starts heading towards the dorm.

“You have the entire first floor suite with the Johnny Seo scholarship student. Everyone else has a single room on the rest of the floors, so both of you should expect a lot of students asking you to host parties and what not.” She explains quickly to Donghyuck while walking swiftly to the entrance, Dongyoung following in time. “The other scholarship student already arrived, you two should get to know each other in case someone forgets their key.” They walk past the bustling lobby with the elevators up to the dorms on the upper floors, eventually walking into a quieter hallway.

There’s one door at the end of the hallway, and once they reach it, a lanyard floats out of Jihyo’s pocket and gently taps itself on the hotel door-like lock mechanism. After a soft beep, it hovers in front of Donghyuck until he grabs it. As soon as the door opens, his boxes glide gracefully into what Donghyuck guesses is supposed to be the open living area.

“Would you like me to put these right by the door of your bedroom?” Jihyo interrupts Donghyuck’s quiet observations of the space he can see. Not that he’s really able to, not with the boxes piled high all around.

“Yes, that would be great, thank you Jihyo,” Donghyuck replies, not really listening as he walks towards what looks to be a boy of around his size (maybe a little bigger) huddled over a half-unpacked box... Sleeping? He isn’t sure if he should wake the boy up— that boy’s neck will probably make him regret napping in that position when he does— but he _is_ a stranger, and Donghyuck doesn’t want to risk it if the boy is the cranky type who wants to be left alone during his naps.

“There you go!” Jihyo swipes both her hands after having gently dropped the boxes outside what Donghyuck can assume is his bedroom. “I recommend you try to unpack as much as possible because we have a freshers event this evening. As a major scholarship recipient, you get first pick on your faculty mentor, so tonight would be a good time to get to know some of them!” Jihyo adds cheerily as she shuffles between the narrow passageway created where boxes didn’t cover the floor. As she holds onto the door handle, she adds a preppy “Welcome to NCTU!”, gives him a wave, and closes the door behind her.

The moment Donghyuck can no longer hear Jihyo’s footsteps, he heads straight for one of the boxes, the one he’d been keeping track of the whole time, and then straight into his room, plopping it right under the bed. He wouldn’t want his roommate to accidentally see the contents of that box after all.

Dongyoung follows swiftly, observing to make sure that the box is put in a reasonable hiding spot for now. He hums in what seems to be approval, so Donghyuck starts heading to the living area to gather more boxes.

“Donghyuck,” Dongyoung puts his hand on Donghyuck’s shoulder while talking in a somewhat hushed tone. “Make sure you don’t get found out okay? Especially since you live with a roommate.”

Donghyuck looks back at Dongyoung’s worried face indicated by the slight furrow of his brow. With all they’ve been through, Donghyuck knows Dongyoung cares deeply about Donghyuck and that they would both sacrifice their own livelihoods to keep the other safe.

“Don’t worry. If I was careless, we would’ve been caught a long time ago,” Donghyuck replies easily, wearing a mischievous grin that Dongyoung can only shake his head to.

“Sometimes I don’t know why I let you kids do such dangerous things,” Dongyoung sighs as he follows Donghyuck into the living area.

Dongyoung continues to help Donghyuck unpack with occasional quiet chatter, finishing in a little less than two hours. Donghyuck continues to watch his roommate for any evidence of stirring, but the only thing he could see is the soft raven hair moving in sync with the boy’s breathing.

“I’ll head out now then, Donghyuck. I’ll see you soon.” Dongyoung gives a dismissive wave as he heads for the door. Donghyuck runs (or tries to amidst his roommate’s boxes) and flings himself towards Dongyoung, grabbing onto Dongyoung’s worn out sweater to smell the familiar scent of his detergent, to wrap his arms tight around the hyung that he’s treated as his real brother for the last three years. Dongyoung only huffs and ruffles his hair, then heads for the door.

With the door closing, Donghyuck once again focuses his attention on his still sleeping roommate. He’s still mildly shocked at how the boy has managed to sleep through the ruckus he and Dongyoung had caused for the past two hours (although they had tried to stay fairly quiet), but Donghyuck is glad that his roommate is a heavy sleeper (After all, getting caught sneaking out during the night would be bad, Donghyuck notes to himself). However, if his roommate isn’t going to wake up soon, he won’t be able to clear out the living room in time for the freshers event, and as the second major scholarship recipient, he probably wouldn’t want to miss out on meeting his potential mentor. Donghyuck decides then and there to prod his roommate awake, hoping his roommate’s first impression won’t be of him being the jerk who woke him up from a much needed nap.

Donghyuck bends down and hugs his knees to keep his balance as he reaches eye level to his roommate. He then gently pokes the crown of his roommate’s head, where the soft black hair originates from on the top of his head.

His roommate gets up almost immediately, fast enough that Donghyuck’s defend-yourself-from-whatever’s-moving-so-fast instinct would have initiated if he had been out on a mission. Instead, because he was caught unaware, he falls backward, hard onto the wooden floor on his behind. His roommate is freaking out, so much so that his flailing arms knock the round glasses Donghyuck hadn’t realized his roommate was wearing off his face. The boy then bends down, scrambling as he tries to find his glasses (and possibly still trying to get a sense of his surroundings) as Donghyuck continues to look in awe at this fumbling boy in front of him.

 _Oh— he’s cute_ , is the first thought that comes to Donghyuck’s mind during his roommate’s spectacle. His roommate had covered his face while he had been sleeping, but now Donghyuck can see the crooked imprint of the nose pads on his long slender nose bridge (probably from squishing his face into his arms and the box he was laying on), a bewildered look in his large round eyes as his dark brown pupils shift around frantically for his glasses, flustered noises coming from his hoarse just-woken up voice.

Donghyuck only comes out of his trance when he sees flashes of light in the boy’s originally brown eyes. He doesn’t know what ability the boy has which could spell disaster for both of them if his roommate doesn’t calm down now.

“Ahhhh— It’s okay, everything is fine, I’m just your new roommate—” Donghyuck frantically scrambles towards the boy while swiping his glasses up from the floor. The slipperiness of the wooden floor helps him move quickly, and he helps the boy put his round Harry Potter-like glasses back on. Donghyuck pauses slightly when their fingers brush against each other, but as the boy’s green eyes return to its normal shade, Donghyuck lets go to allow him to gather himself.

He watches the boy again, no longer fumbling about, adjusting his glasses nervously.

“I am so sorry I was such a mess— Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Minhyung, 5.2. You’re…?”

“Lee Donghyuck. Nice to meet you.” Donghyuck smiles and puts a hand out as a sign of friendship.

Minhyung’s eyes widen and then smiles wider as he reaches for Donghyuck’s hand, shaking it formally.

Donghyuck laughs. Minhyung was so awkward it was endearing.

“No hyung, I want to be friends! We don’t have to be so formal with each other.” Donghyuck uses his spare hand to close Minhyung’s hand into a fist, then gives him a fist bump.

Mark tilts his head to one side as he retracts his hand. “Hyung? Then can I call you Hyuck?”

Donghyuck laughs harder this time, almost falling backwards again from the suddenness of Minhyung’s remark. “I called you hyung because you're probably older than me. I graduated a year earlier! You can call me Hyuck if you want though!”

A red flush instantly surfaces on Minhyung’s cheeks as he sputters out another incoherent apology, and Donghyuck can only put his hand on Minhyung’s shoulder for support as he bends over from his laughter-induced stomach pain. Minhyung eventually joins with a light chuckle, and the laughter dies down into a comfortable silence.

“Anyways, I woke you up because we have a freshers event later tonight and I didn’t think you’d want to miss it,” Donghyuck eyes the boxes still piled around them before returning his gaze to Minhyung. “I can help you unpack if you’d like? We can also discuss dorm responsibilities and get to know each other while we’re at it.”

“Oh, sure. Thank you, Hyuck.” Minhyung smiles back shyly, and Donghyuck has to hold back the little somersault his heart is doing.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

Donghyuck realizes three things when talking to Minhyung while they are unpacking. The first is that Minhyung is a night owl (not so good for Donghyuck’s late night escapades) that prefers studying at the library late into the night (slightly better for that). Donghyuck replies with the excuse that he too is a night owl, but only because he enjoys going out to parties and studies better at night with a red bull in hand. Donghyuck assures Minhyung that he enjoys _going_ to parties and not hosting them, and this settles the potential sleeping schedule issue and the questions when he'll eventually run into Minhyung in the middle of the night.

The second is that Minhyung is not as awkward as he initially seemed (which Donghyuck finds even more charming). Donghyuck has a lot of fun talking to Minhyung and getting to know how he decided on going to NCTU (he wants to go to school without constant supervision like in his boarding school, plus NCTU’s chemistry department is excellent), where he’s from (originally Canada, but he moved to Seoul at a young age, which perks up Donghyuck’s interest), if he has any siblings (Minhyung is an only child, and Donghyuck replies that he is too), if he likes pineapple on pizza (Donghyuck doesn’t even like pizza, but it would have slightly deterred his growing crush if Minhyung had said yes), and anything in between. Donghyuck can feel Minhyung slowly come out of his shell as they delve deeper into conversation, laughing more freely at the jokes Donghyuck throws in occasionally into their conversation.

Lastly, the third (and favourite) thing Donghyuck notices is that teasing Minhyung is very entertaining as his responses (Donghyuck readily admits) are very cute.

“Oooh, not that box. Don’t worry about it.” Minhyung quickly kicks said box under his bed when Donghyuck reaches for one of the remaining two boxes left to unpack, and Donghyuck laughs at how Minhyung decided to keep his secret box in the same spot as him.

“I put my secret stash under the bed too. We’ll make an agreement that I won’t look under your bed, and you do the same for me, yeah?” Donghyuck smirks and waves his brows dramatically, and Minhyung makes a noise resembling a mix of a squeal and a groan, most likely in response to Donghyuck’s insinuation about the contents of his box as well as Donghyuck revealing having his own.

“I— it’s not—” Donghyuck keeps his eyebrow raised waiting for Mark to give him an intelligible answer, but it never comes.

“It’s okay Hyung, no need to be embarrassed,” Donghyuck pats Minhyung’s shoulder and moves on to unpack the other remaining box.

They finish thirty minutes later, and Donghyuck finally has a clear view of what the living area looks like. It is very spacious, a decently sized coffee table in front of the couch facing a TV, and an open kitchen with what looks to be a marble countertop surrounding it. Donghyuck and Minhyungs’ bedrooms are facing each other on either side of the couch, and the single washroom is by the open kitchen. There are fancy windows to let the natural light in as well as to match the modern feel of the exterior of the building, the fridge is probably way too high tech for a pair of university students, and the couch is surprisingly not run-down like Donghyuck had expected it to be— He’s impressed at the interior design and can see himself enjoying living in this space with Minhyung.

“The university really outdid themselves with this space.” Minhyung observes.

“Well, NCTU has such a big sponsor that it probably has spare money to spend on things like this.” Donghyuck muses, thinking about whether he should bring in a fluffy blanket and some pillows for the couch for when he wants to lounge and watch TV.

Minhyung continues observing the premises until he catches sight of the clock hanging on the wall.

“Uh, Hyuck, we probably want to make a run for the event…”

In a matter of seconds, Donghyuck jumps out of the sofa, grabs Minhyung’s arm, and drags both of them out the door with a wide grin.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

They’re both a panting mess, but they do make it on time to enter the stadium where the opening for the event is held, just barely. Donghyuck is mildly surprised by Minhyung's stamina; not a lot of people can keep up with him when he sprints since most people his age don’t spend their nights running around the city. He eyes Minhyung (and his biceps hidden underneath his hoodie), wondering if he works out frequently. Maybe he should ask Minhyung to teach him how to use the machines.

They quickly sit down on the nearest empty seats they can find as a tall suited man walks towards the podium. Minhyung does a little gasp, and Donghyuck looks back and realizes why— It’s Johnny Seo, the current head of operations of NCT.

Donghyuck has only ever seen Mr. Seo on a screen before, so it feels somewhat surreal as he watches the real deal confidently walk up the steps and adjust the microphone with the poise that only someone who knew of their influence would. As the youngest head of operations in the history of Korea, Mr. Seo saw crime rates in their country drop dramatically and the number of field agents increasing within a span of 5 years. Rumour has it that he was a previous field agent for NCT but had accomplished so much that he had started leading missions and then eventually the agency itself. As the face of NCT, many people admired him, wanted to work for him and make meaningful contributions to society because of him. His level and ability are classified (like those of field agents and higher ups of NCT almost always are), but Donghyuck wouldn’t be surprised if it was some sort of manipulation-type ability; the most elite ability users were usually in that category.

“Greetings, new NCTU students. Everyone feeling excited?” Donghyuck yells some sort of generic response but then notices Minhyung’s stunned silence. Donghyuck eyes Minhyuck with a wordless question but Minhyung only shakes his head.

“...As you all know, NCT was founded to maintain the peace in Korea. People of higher intelligence, of higher ability, have the responsibility to help others who do not possess such. Consequently, NCTU was created as a place for scholars to develop the knowledge and skillset to do so— to contribute back to our parents, our siblings, our country, our world for what they have given us.”

A spine-tingling chill runs across Donghyuck’s body when he swears Mr. Seo looks him straight in the eye as he says the previous sentence. Minhyung also tenses up where their legs are slightly grazing each other, and Donghyuck wonders if Minhyung can sense the director’s gaze too. The director of operations eventually turns his gaze towards other students as he continues his speech and Donghyuck lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Wisdom is power— Sapientia est potentia. We want you to learn, strive, achieve, so one day the next generation can do the same.” Mr. Seo brings out his dazzling smile, and Donghyuck can practically hear the girls swooning. “Perhaps one day, you will be working beside me at NCT for the betterment of our country. Thank you.”

A loud round of applause erupts as Mr. Seo smiles charmingly and heads offstage. He definitely has the authority and charisma of a leader, and Donghyuck can’t help but commend Johnny for how he’s managed to rally up a nation to support his cause with an almost idol-like fan base in a span of a short few years.

“He’s got a strong stage presence huh,” Donghyuck remarks while eying Minhyung. Minhyung has a grin on his face, practically starry-eyed at the operations head who just disappeared backstage. “Yeah, he does.”

Donghyuck bends over and examines Minhyung’s facial expressions amusedly. “Are you one of those NCT Johnny Seo fanboys as well? The ones who are like _my dream job is to work at NCT as a field agent and save the day so I can get the approval from Johnny!_ type of fanboy?”

Minhyung almost chokes and immediately reverts to his panicky-self, instantly going into denial. “No no no no, not at all. I just admire his work ethic and how he’s managed to lead NCT with this much success, that is all.”

“Mmhm, so a toned down fanboy.” and Lee Donghyuck laughs at the pout that he manages to elicit from the boy beside him.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

As Donghyuck and Minhyung leave the stadium and its bleachers behind, the bright blue that the sky originally was has changed into a burnt orange. However, the festivities of the university campus light up the surroundings with life.

Donghyuck notices a sign indicating the location of the engineering mentors, and turns to look at Minhyung to plan their return to the dorm. “So, do you want to meet up after this and head back together?”

Minhyung shrugs, looking around. “I’m actually going to head in early and start reading the syllabi.”

 _Oh,_ Donghyuck thinks. _The Johnny Seo Scholarship recipient doesn’t want to meet his potential mentors?_ He points this out to Minhyung verbally as well.

“Ah, I already decided on my mentor,” Minhyung replies easily, which Donghyuck finds suspicious (because when would he have had a chance to meet all the mentors?) but he quickly chalks it up to Minhyung probably knowing someone in the university prior to his admission.

“Okay then. I’ll see you later!” Donghyuck waves Minhyung goodbye and heads towards the engineering sign he had seen earlier.

Donghyuck tries to shake off his nervous energy as he giddily walks towards what looks to be an outdoor patio. He wants to make a good impression on the possible mentors, and even if he only gets to pick one, he hopes he can still be on friendly terms with the rest. As he walks closer, he notices the fairy lights decorating the patio, illuminating more brightly as the sky gets darker. There are a lot of students here, many dressed in engineering-branded attire as they roam around getting to know one another. Amidst the students, he can see a very tall individual looming above the others with a very wide smile on his face, laughing about something Donghyuck can’t discern above the chatter.

 _He looks friendly,_ Donghyuck thinks, and so he decides to approach his first target. As he gets closer, Donghyuck notices the boy’s tan skin, black hair, big eyes. They inadvertently make eye contact, so Donghyuck smiles and introduces himself.

“Hey! I’m Lee Donghyuck. Nice to meet you!” He once again puts his hand out as a sign of friendship, and the boy returns it with a fun handshake.

“Hey, what’s up! I’m Xuxi, 5.0. You’re in engineering too?”

“Yeah, maybe we have classes together!”

Donghyuck and Xuxi become very comfortable with each other very quickly. Besides being extremely friendly, Xuxi is very easy to talk to. After comparing their schedules, they realize they both have a fair amount of classes together, and Donghyuck thinks that he wouldn’t mind attending lectures with him.

Xuxi is very open, talking about how he is ethnically Chinese but was raised in Korea his whole life, how he needed to reroute his brain to use Korean again after going to Hong Kong for exchange in the last three years etc., etc. Donghyuck volunteers to help him out with any engineering terms he might have trouble understanding in Korean, so they both quickly decide to add each other’s contacts. Xuxi’s ID pops up on Donghyuck’s holoscreen, and he quickly accepts.

 _Xuxi’s a fire wielder_ , Donghyuck reads, which he thinks is very suited to Xuxi’s vibrant and almost hot-headed personality. When he returns his focus to Xuxi, he notices his new friend’s wide eyes growing even bigger after taking in the details of Donghyuck’s ID.

“Wait a second… You’re a 6.8? I thought you were a lower level since you didn’t say anything about it when you introduced yourself!”

This is the one time Donghyuck wishes Xuxi was not so naturally loud and crowd-attracting, for Donghyuck can see some nearby students’ sudden interest in their conversation peak. “Oh, yeah. I just don’t like introducing myself with my level unless someone asks for it, sometimes I wish people would be friends with others no matter if they know each other’s level or not...”

A flash of an apologetic look flickers in Xuxi’s wide eyes and he tones down his voice a little.

“Oh Donghyuck, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say it that loudly. I’m just naturally really loud, and…” Xuxi continues his apology animatedly as Donghyuck thinks about how Xuxi really is just like a large boisterous puppy.

Donghyuck shakes his head, smiling. “Don’t worry about it. Plus, you were just as friendly to me when you thought I was a lower level, so I know you’re not one of those people I was worried about.”

Xuxi’s happy smile returns after, and if Xuxi wasn’t older than him, Donghyuck would think he was cute in a younger brother sort of way.

“Have you met the potential mentors yet?” Donghyuck brings the topic up as their conversation drifts elsewhere.

“No, I haven’t. Too busy meeting other freshmen, I haven’t actually gone inside yet,” Xuxi laughs, hands comfortably in the pockets of his varsity jacket.

“Oh! Do you want to go together?” Donghyuck is still nervous about meeting the possible mentors, and having Xuxi around would definitely make it more comfortable and liven the overall atmosphere.

“Yeah! I’m down!” Xuxi excitedly heads towards the entrance of the indoor portion of the building that reveals a nice coffee house set up. A semi-circle of tables surrounds the walls of the open space, each table with what looks to be a grad student with a name tag. With a quick scan, Donghyuck notices the left end of the semi-circle being much busier than the right. Logic tells him to start from the right to save time, but Xuxi hooks his arm and drags him in the other direction instead. And boy is Xuxi strong because Donghyuck can’t even attempt to drag himself the other way. They both head straight to the crowd, but because Xuxi is so tall, the crowd starts dispersing so as to not get hit by 180cm of what Donghyuck thinks is probably pure muscle. Before he knows it, he’s right in front of the first grad student, a warm smile and dimples on both cheeks.

“Hey! I'm Lee Donghyuck. Nice to meet you!” Donghyuck doesn't have time to think of something interesting to say as he quickly sits down on one of the two chairs facing the grad student with the name tag that reads “Yoonoh”.

“Ah, I've heard about you. The incoming NCTU major scholarship recipient right? I'm Jung Yoonoh.” He shakes Donghyuck's hand warmly. “Are you here to find a mentor?”

“Yeah, I want to get to meet everyone before I make a decision.”

“Of course, Of course.” Yoonoh waves dismissively. “For convenience, all the grad students are placed in ability order, and it descends this way.” Yoonoh points to himself, then waves his arm to the end of the semi-circle where the crowd is much thinner.

“Okay, thank you for letting me know.” Donghyuck ignores Yoonoh’s veiled implications and brings Xuxi a little closer, patting his arm. “This is my friend Xuxi! He's in engineering as well!”

“Hm, Xuxi, hey?” Donghyuck can feel Xuxi freeze up as Yoonoh lets the name roll off his tongue.

“Yeah, nice to meet you, Yoonoh,” Xuxi adds after a somewhat awkward laugh.

“So, Yoonoh, what’s your master's thesis on?” Donghyuck brings up after all the introductions are over.

“Streamwise flow-induced oscillations of bluff bodies,” Yoonoh replies smoothly.

Xuxi blows a low whistle, sounding impressed. “Wow, that's— I didn't understand a single word you said.” and Yoonoh laughs.

“You wouldn't have had much chance to learn engineering-related concepts until now,” Yoonoh explains. “You can come over and see the experiments I'm doing at the lab if you're my mentee? That should help with your understanding.” Yoonoh smiles while responding to Xuxi’s comment, but watches Donghyuck instead.

“Thank you, that sounds very interesting! I'll definitely do that if I end up under your wing.” Donghyuck smiles politely. Yoonoh is friendly, but he wants to see the other grad students and their topics before deciding. Besides, mechanical engineering isn't what he's most interested in.

Yoonoh leans back into his chair, taking the hint. “Alright. I'll see you around on campus, I might even be a TA in one of your classes!” Yoonoh rises from his seat first, offering Donghyuck a handshake. Donghyuck takes it warmly after getting out of his seat, and both him and Xuxi head for the next mentor's table.

After about thirty minutes and halfway through the row of mentors, Donghyuck notices Xuxi getting increasingly anxious with each mentor that they talk to. Sitting down on a cramped seat, having small talk with grad students probably isn't Xuxi’s cup of tea, and he's probably begging to go on a run outside or something. Donghyuck voices those observations, and Xuxi readily confirms, taking it as a chance to leave. He promises to contact Donghyuck so they can sit together for the classes they have together and runs off, probably to expend the pent up energy.

When Donghyuck finally gets to the end of the semi-circle, there are a lot fewer students loitering around, and even less in this corner. The last mentor has his head down, scribbling into a notebook. Donghyuck had noticed him doing that the whole evening, and wonders how many of the freshmen ended up talking to him. Donghyuck sits down, and the shuffling of his seat startles the grad student.

“Oh hello,” the grad student pushes up his glasses and closes his book. “I'm Sicheng, nice to meet you.” Donghyuck smiles, offering a handshake. “Sorry about being distracted just now. There hasn't been that many students approach me so I thought this would be a better use of my time.” Sicheng adds while flipping quickly through his notes for Donghyuck to see. Donghyuck makes out pages and pages of scribbles lined with circuit diagrams and is intrigued.

“Are those…?”

“Ah, I study embedded system designs of bioelectronics, but these are just some random ideas of devices that I might make. I'm trying to propose some ideas for NCT’s use that are so good that they can't refuse to hire me regardless of my level, but we'll have to see how that goes.”

Sicheng’s fiery incentive as a young aspiring engineer resonates with Donghyuck, and he can see glimmers of Dongyoung in Sicheng.

 _This is it_ , Donghyuck thinks. _This is who I’ve been looking for._

“Sicheng— I'm very very interested in your project. I'd love for you to take me on as your mentee, and I would really like to help you out with your theses, as well as your side project.” He looks all starry-eyed at the stunned grad student.

“I— I don't even know your name,” Sicheng points out, unsure.

“Oh! I'm so sorry.” Donghyuck quickly whips out his holoscreen and sends a request for contact to Sicheng. “I'm Lee Donghyuck, incoming engineering student!”

Sicheng hesitantly pulls out his own holoscreen, examining the profile in front of him. “ _You’re_ the 6.8 scholarship recipient?” He immediately frowns, almost as if he thought Donghyuck was playing a trick on him. “Why would you want to be my mentee? Why not Yoonoh? He’s a 7 point something.”

“Sicheng,” Donghyuck puts both his hands in front of him as a sign of sincerity. “His level has no correlation as to whether I find his research topic interesting. I'm more interested in biotech, which is exactly what you're studying.”

Sicheng still looks hesitant, so Donghyuck pushes on. “Your level shouldn't deter people from wanting to be your mentee, and I hope mine doesn't deter you from letting me help with your project. I promise I'll be a good mentee!”

Donghyuck focuses earnestly on Sicheng and watches his finger eventually press accept on his holoscreen. Donghyuck excitedly takes Sicheng’s hand, shaking it vigorously.

“I'm so excited to work with you! I'll submit the mentee application tonight!” Donghyuck smiles brightly, excited at the prospects of working with Sicheng.

Donghyuck and Sicheng talk for the rest of the evening so they can get to know one another, and Donghyuck eventually sees the first semblance of a genuine smile on Sicheng's face.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

Donghyuck returns to the dorm right around dinner time. True to his word, Minhyung is sitting at his desk scrolling through multiple holoscreens of text. He doesn’t look like he’s eaten, so Donghyuck offers to cook.

“You can cook?” Minhyung swivels around on his chair, eyes shining like an excited puppy waiting for his meal.

“Yes sir, what would you like today? I grabbed some groceries from the market just now, but I only got the basics.”

“Anything would be good,” Minhyung looks so excited Donghyuck can almost see the imaginary tail wagging behind him. “I was planning on living on take out for the whole year, thank god you know how to cook,” He pauses, then adds more hesitantly, “but of course you only have to cook when you feel like it though! I don’t want you to think that I’m treating you like a maid or something,”

“Have you never cooked before?” Donghyuck asks curiously while he lays the ingredients on the countertop.

“Ah, a little… I never really had a chance to when I was younger, and then I had canteen food for the rest of my high school years so I haven’t been near a kitchen in _years_ ,” Minhyung emphasizes while getting up from his seat.

“Okay, so it’s not that you’re naturally bad, you just haven’t had a chance to practice. I can teach you if you want? Then eventually we can take turns cooking or something,” Donghyuck suggests.

Minhyung perks up immediately. “Really? You’d do that for me?”

“Yeah, it’s less work in the long run and in the beginning we can treat it as roommate bonding time,” Donghyuck smiles, waving at Minhyung to come over.

In thirty minutes, Donghyuck and Minhyung manage to make beef and kimchi fried rice for the both of them. Minhyung doesn’t know the names of some of the appliances and ingredients, so Donghyuck has a fun time laughing at the names Minhyung comes up with.

“I’m sorry but cornstarch literally looks like every other white powder there is in the kitchen,” Minhyung says with a cute pout on his face while scooping rice into his bowl.

“That’s why the bags are all labeled, hyung!” Donghyuck laughs as he does the same. “How do you like it though? Not bad right?” They’re both sitting on the floor, the bowl of kimchi rice on the coffee table between them.

Minhyung has a big grin on his face, cheeks full of rice. “This is great— I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in so long,” and if Donghyuck notices how Minhyung’s eyes are suspiciously glassy, he doesn’t mention it. They both eat in comfortable silence after that, until the rice is all gone.

“We should have made more so we could pack it for lunch tomorrow,” Donghyuck leans back and pats his stomach after finishing. Minhyung also does the same, eying the bowl as if staring at it would make more rice magically appear.

“What are you planning on doing now?” Donghyuck asks. After all, he has plans tonight, and it would be very humiliating to get caught right after promising Dongyoung to be careful.

“I want to start my readings; I have to make sure I don’t get behind later in the term or it’s not going to be a fun year,” Minhyung shrugs, wrinkling his nose as he pushes his glasses up.

“Ah, ever the studious type I see,” Donghyuck smiles as he starts gathering his plates and Minhyung starts doing the same. “Well, I’m going to the party someone’s hosting for the start of the year so I won’t be back till late. Don’t stay up too late studying, yeah? You don’t want to burn yourself out.”

“Yes I won’t, have fun at the party! Don’t get too drunk, aha,” Minhyung replies as they both head towards the sink.

“Yep,” Donghyuck replies, popping the p, “You won’t have to worry about me,” and gives Minhyung the biggest smile.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

It’s 5 minutes to midnight and Donghyuck is sitting on his bed, legs swinging where his box originally had been placed. He’s moved it to a much safer place now— He knows he made the pact with Minhyung but that was mostly a joke to lighten up the atmosphere. He’s currently in his full gear, waiting, watching his bracelet. It's the one that he'd hidden underneath his hoodie the whole day, and its steady glow of electric-blue peeks through the five dots on the outer rim.

_Injun-ah, anytime now._

Within seconds, a portal appears on the wooden floor. Donghyuck checks the doors and windows one last time, then jumps in, and the portal closes soon after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... And that was the first chapter! Probably the most boring chapter because it was mostly setup, now we can get to the exciting part!
> 
> Sorry about all the fake science and jargon, one third is completely fake, one third is copied off the internet, the remaining third is my meager neuroscience knowledge. 
> 
> You don't know how many times I wrote Mark's name as Mark and had to change it back to Minhyung, but thankfully that won't be an issue after the next chapter :')
> 
> Next chapter: First fight scene (it's mostly banter), cluelessly tending to each other's injuries...?
> 
> PS. I'd love to hear what everyone thinks! Before anyone asks, I will not be revealing Donghyuck or Mark's abilities until approximately 75% of the way through, so everyone can guess :]
> 
>   
> [my twt](https://twitter.com/2amcoffeerants)


	2. A Secret Identity II: Lee Minhyung

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lee Minhyung: Freshly graduated NCT trainee. Currently: Ready to kick someone’s ass (In the most professional manner possible).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the comments! I really loved hearing everyone’s opinion and what everyone was looking forward to!
> 
> Forgot to mention that the story will mostly switch between Donghyuck and Mark's point of view, I indicated it with separators (the bears). ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀ will be Hyuck's and ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★ will be Mark's. It's just the eyebrows are switched and they each have a sun and star respectively.
> 
> Update: I've gotten a beta and she so kindly betaed this chapter for me even though I published it already 🥺 So there's been changes to this chapter, most are minor but there's like one extra conversation snippet added in between Mark and Hyuck :]

### Abilities: Part II

Stamina depletion is a physiological phenomenon that all ability users must be aware of. Symptoms of stamina depletion are more common in manipulators and enhancement/embodiment-types due to the nature of their abilities. The rate of stamina depletion depends on individuals’ capabilities, but general factors include:

  1. Scale of ability usage: Larger scale = faster depletion. Moving a truck will deplete more stamina than moving a book. Abilities that don’t involve manipulation or embodiment/enhancement typically do not consume much stamina and as such, users of such abilities are usually low-risk for Ability Depletion.
  2. Duration of ability usage: Longer duration = faster depletion.
  3. Individual’s stamina bank. A person with a smaller stamina bank will demonstrate more symptoms of ability depletion than a person with a larger stamina bank when both individuals are executing identical skills. As mentioned previously, stamina can be trained and built up.



If an individual’s stamina decreases a significant amount, individuals can exhibit symptoms of Ability Depletion (Also known as stamina depletion). A person is said to be AD-ing when exhibiting moderate to severe symptoms. Symptoms may be misinterpreted as physical exhaustion, and it is up to medical professionals to diagnose it properly. However, individuals usually can self-diagnose fairly accurately based on their circumstances and prior use of abilities.

**Table 2: Commonly found symptoms of stamina depletion in increasing severity. Authorized redistribution by NCT.**

**Severity**

| 

**Symptoms**

| 

**Recovery**  
  
---|---|---  
  
Mild

| 

Fatigue (similar to after exercise)

| 

Can recover normally with rest, similar to exercise.  
  
Moderate

| 

Dizziness, muscle weakness, decreased control of abilities along with symptoms of mild stamina depletion. 

| 

Usually a few days of rest and minimal use of abilities will allow users to return to daily activities.  
  
Severe

| 

Loss of consciousness, unable to wield powers along with the symptoms of mild and moderate stamina depletion.

| 

Almost always requires hospitalization. Stamina usually cannot be recovered by an individual without requiring machines or IV drips to manually stimulate the DTH neuronal cells in the user's body. May take a few days to a week, or until the individual wakes up, then the user can follow the recovery guidelines of moderate stamina depletion.

If no medical help is given after severe ability depletion is accompanied by loss of consciousness, permanent ability loss is possible, and the shock of the loss of ability will likely lead to eventual death.  
  
_Excerpt taken from the Federal Agency of Neural Competency._   
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

Mark presses his back against the wall, turning his head to observe the exterior of the building. It’s very plain, nothing like where he’d think NCT officials would keep their information. Minimal security, easy in and out. He shakes his head. Probably an employee taking their work home, he thinks.

Soon after, he feels another presence beside him, but clearly not very stealthy. He looks back, unimpressed, and Lucas is there with his cheshire grin and almond eyes.

“Mark,” Lucas nods his head with a flicker of scarlet in his eyes, but Mark only raises his brow. He should know better than to call him by anything other than his field name.

“Sorry sorry, I’m not used to it yet— Môlos,” Lucas laughs apologetically, but Mark only shakes his head. They’re both newly graduated from the agent training program, so it’ll take some time to get used to working missions with only the two of them.

“Fȳren, did you read the debrief we got?” Mark returns his focus to observing the building. No signs of disturbances yet.

“Uh, I sorta got to the part where they said we were dispatched for our first mission and then I headed straight here as soon as possible,” At least Lucas looks sheepish about it.

“This person has been obtaining classified data from NCT for a while. They haven’t been going around for too important things, so NCT just put it on the back burner. They almost always infiltrate every other Monday night. This is why it’s just us two assigned, Jay probably thinks it’s easy fry for two new agents,” Mark explains, still watching out for signs of something amiss.

“I actually saw Jay today. It was so awkward pretending I didn’t know him, and he was staring straight into my face so coyly, it made me so uncomfortable,” Lucas nudges him lightly, a grin still on his face. 

Mark doesn’t smile at that. Partly because Lucas should know not to have small talk during a mission, and also because he notices a slight rustle from a bush near a window to the building. He puts one hand on Lucas’ arm to notify him and the other on his spec lens to zoom in more clearly on the bush. He can only see a messy mop of dark brown hair peeking above the bushes, and a very distinct cowlick that seems to refuse to settle down, bobbing along with the culprit’s footsteps.

With such a noticeable feature, it should be easy to uncover their identity, Mark muses.

Mark nods a go, and Lucas does the same in confirmation. Thankfully Lucas knows when to get serious, and they follow after the culprit.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


Donghyuck easily enters the building. He doesn’t ever choose high security buildings now, not after how he met Dongyoung. He had been too reckless then, but after doing this for almost three years, he had improved, learned the tricks, found people who were willing to help him for the same cause.

He slinks easily along the passageway, making sure no one is stirring. The only thing this official’s done as a safety precaution was to install security cameras and the small negation field around his study room. Nice try, but that only made Donghyuck’s job easier (no regular civilian would have negation fields in their house, that’s how Donghyuck had been able to find all the likely locations containing confidential information he’s “stolen” so far) and he had turned them all off within seconds before he even went in.

Isn’t it ironic that the more they protect themselves with technology, the easier it is for Donghyuck to notice them and enter? He thinks amusedly as he reaches the area of the building where he had sensed the higher amount of security.

From what he’s seen so far, this is someone’s private apartment, and this is likely the door to the study room. It doesn’t even have a hinge; it’s those sliding doors that make even less noise. Donghyuck still unlocks the door slowly to make sure he isn’t caught in a trap, but he highly doubts it. In all three years, he’s made accidental contact with an agent maybe six times, and all six weren’t even there for him. Clearly NCT doesn’t think of him as more than a pest, but that’s fine by him— less work for everyone involved.

He opens the door to see a holoscreen setup on a C-shaped study desk in front of a massive bookshelf filled with books. He silently heads over with practiced ease and taps the screen. It lights up immediately, locked with a passcode, but it only takes Donghyuck a second to change that. He’s checking all the folders and navigation routes when he finds the jackpot.

 _Bingo,_ he grins, his teeth reflecting in the moonlight as he takes out the USB he’s hidden in his pocket. He could have easily just transferred all the data out of the holoscreen without even being anywhere near this house, but then NCT would be able to trace where the data went and he’d be in big trouble, so a good old fashioned USB it is. Donghyuck uncaps the USB, ready to plug it in, when the entire stick shatters in his hands.

“So what do you think you’re doing?”

Donghyuck whips around just in time to see someone’s foot about to hit his face.

He’s only able to tilt his face away to lessen the impact (and also because explaining away a broken nose would be very difficult), but it still hurts as he rolls and lands on his two feet again.

 _Ouch,_ he hasn’t gotten kicked in the face since… probably ever. His adrenaline is pumping and he can’t get the grin off his face despite the stinging of his left cheek. Finally, something interesting.

_Injun-ah, can you tell Jaemin to hurry up? There’s an agent here who destroyed the USB you gave me._

_He’s grabbing your board right now, will be there soon._

He doesn’t have the time to fully observe the details of who he’s facing today, but he _does_ notice the NCT badge embedded on his left arm. _Quite the boring ensemble_ , he thinks as he eyes the plain black suit and mask that seems incredibly generic looking. The agent’s eyes are glowing a soft green, like the colour of lush ferns, of nature, but the rest of his stance tells a different story. Donghyuck can’t tell if the guy feels any emotion at all or if that’s just his professional on-the-job face, but an undeniable aura of control emanates from him.

The agent thankfully has given him time to recollect himself, standing 2 meters away as he recites Donghyuck’s rights and felonies. 

“...As authorized personnel of NCT, I have been dispatched to arrest you for illegal theft of government intellectual property. You have the right to remain silent, but resistance will result in additional charges of obstruction of the agency and assault with intent to resist arrest…”

Donghyuck almost rolls his eyes. “Reciting my rights _after_ you’ve kicked me in the face? Don’t you think that’s a bit too late?” Donghyuck places both his hands on his hips, forcing himself to look relaxed and unbothered. 

The agent who had shown no emotional response whatsoever while droning on about his rights finally quirks up an eyebrow. Even the eyebrow raise looks serious, and Donghyuck can’t help but prod a little more.

“Also I’m sorry but your feet stink. You might want to get a foot spa after this,” he adds after a pause, grinning as he finally sees the first sign of human emotion in the agent’s face. It’s probably anger, but better than that emotionless robot he had been before!

“You can pay for my spa trip after I put you in cuffs!” The agent finally lunges at Donghyuck, and he readily receives. The agent is very capable, definitely well trained, as Donghyuck has to dodge a heavy punch thrown towards his shoulder which he unfortunately doesn’t fully avoid. Despite slowly increasing in bruise count, Donghyuck is feeling quite entertained evading the majority of the hits completely while taunting the agent.

“Ah, so NCT doesn’t have the technology to deploy robot agents yet,” Donghyuck shouldn’t waste his energy on trying to rile the agent, but he can’t help it after seeing the beginnings of the agent’s professional façade crumbling. It’s addicting, seeing how much further he can push the other over the edge, to slowly reveal what his opponent is _really_ like.

The agent scoffs as he finally manages to grab hold of Donghyuck. Donghyuck is prepared to duck another jab, but then he sees the punch coming from someone else, and it’s embedded with _fire._ Donghyuck’s eyes widen in response. There’s absolutely no way he can avoid that, the only thing he can do is prepare himself for the pain—

Except the fire fist gets deflected with a spark of a board that Donghyuck recognizes.

“Plectō!” Donghyuck calls. Thankfully Injun responded to his message fast and got Jaemin to help him, or he would be cooked right now.

“You idiot. I’ll take care of the fire guy,” Jaemin throws him his board, the spare of the one he was planning to use as a skateboard around campus, while the second agent (which Donghyuck shamefully had not noticed) is wincing in pain from probably getting shocked in his hand. The green-eyed guy’s hold of him had loosened during the kerfuffle involving Jaemin, so he sees the perfect chance to land a nice solid kick to his side.

“You asshole,” the Green-eyed guy (Donghyuck should probably give him a real name soon) holds his side, but then Donghyuck’s board snaps in half with a brighter green glow from the agent’s eyes. Donghyuck shrugs and throws it away as the agent quickly charges at Donghyuck again (He’ll have to apologize to Dongyoung later). Injun’s notified him of the backup plan, so he just has to hold on for a little longer until the signal.

“You should tell your friend to be careful with the fire,” Donghyuck warns jokingly as he avoids another well aimed punch. “I turned off the security cameras, and if the entire place burns down because of his stupidity you better not pin this on me. I am just a mere information broker, not an arsonist,”

“Oh, I’ll _definitely_ make sure to add that on your criminal profile. Anything else to add?”

“Ooh, is this like a dating profile? The name’s Elektōr. Based in Seoul, my favourite hobby is provoking NCT agents who can’t take jokes—”

“You’ve really done it now. Have you no shame? You have been doing this illegally for 3 years!”

“Well, I’m very curious about the information you guys have been withholding from the public, and I just _hate_ being out of the loop. I only released information when I thought the public deserved to see it,” Donghyuck even adds a little shrug despite the fact that it means he has less time to dodge the incoming blow.

“Everything is classified for a reason. Information could be seen by the wrong people, like _you,_ ” Green-eyed guy almost spits out the last word as Donghyuck is being cornered into the study desk right behind him.

“You are committing a crime, and I will personally see to it that you get the proper penalty for that!” The agent adds after as he tries to grab Donghyuck again. Donghyuck almost wants to roll his eyes again at how boring and repetitive this guy is. Plus, he’s starting to get tired avoiding all the attacks while holding his ground in front of the holoscreen. Is Injun _done_?

“Ah, so NCT finally assigned an agent to me? I’ve been upgraded!” Donghyuck manages to taunt right before his back grazes the table. _Injun, hurry up or I’m gonna have to jump on the table!_

“Want to give me the name of the agent I’ve had the pleasure of meeting today?” He adds, tilting his head to the side as Green-eyed guy throws a punch.

The guy is stone faced, concentrating on getting a solid hit but Donghyuck tries some more.

“Aw come on, a name won’t hurt. What is it? Agent Kim? Agent Park? Hm, maybe Agent Lee, Lees are always assholes.” 

_That’s the closest you’ve ever gotten to admitting you’re annoying, Hyuck._

Donghyuck laughs at Injun’s message as Lee (that’s what Donghyuck has decided on even if that’s not the agent’s name) aims a punch at his abdomen. Donghyuck manages to grab hold of Lee’s fist, pulling him in, and then suddenly their faces are inches away from each other.

"Considering you don’t seem to have an opinion, Lee it is then,” Donghyuck grins, mirroring the widening of the agent's eyes.

Amidst the struggle, Injun notifies him that he’s done and Donghyuck pushes Lee back far away from him. “Well Lee, looks like you’ll have to try again another time.”

“There won’t be another time,” Lee grits his teeth as he lunges back towards him, accelerating the pace of his attacks.

“Boohoo, you’re no fun,” Donghyuck replies as he waits for the perfect chance to strike.

Lee snarls. “Call me whatever you want, there’s no way I’d give my name to a criminal like yo—” Donghyuck then rips the USB he’d been hiding behind him and throws it into the tiny portal Injun had opened behind his back. He jumps over the table, the agent’s face a blur of surprise. 

As he leaves the agent behind, he sprints towards Jaemin who had brought his fight out in the hallway. Hiding a newly inserted USB into the holoscreen setup while fighting (and taunting, but that was optional) an NCT trained agent at the same time was _hard_.

Jaemin and the fire guy aren't too far away from the study room, and Donghyuck decides to just rush past and drag Jaemin along with him. 

“See y’all soon!” He calls back as Injun’s portal promptly opens at the end of the hallway, and Donghyuck and Jaemin quickly jump in, returning safely to their base.

Donghyuck and Jaemin don’t expect the big drop after jumping into the portal, and they both fall butt first onto the familiar ground of their hidden base with a groan. Donghyuck is pretty sure he bruised his tailbone for the second time today, but it’s probably the last thing he needs to worry about when Injun is glowering at the both of them. Donghyuck pulls off his mask, that annoying strand of hair that had refused to settle down finally back in its place as he offers a smile as an apology for his reckless behaviour. Injun slowly steps forward, and Donghyuck gulps as he prepares for the certain reprimanding approaching his near future.

ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


Field agents are trained to be calm and collected, and Mark doesn’t ever get angry. When Jay had given them a lecture on anger management and staying calm during missions, Mark had used that time to recite parts of the Workers Act in his head. As a trainee, there were always things to do, always something to improve on. Why spend time on something he already had a knack for when there were other things that needed practice and hard work? But now he wishes he had listened more carefully to Jay’s lecture, because saying he was angry was an understatement. After attempting to follow the two offenders only to see them disappear into a portal, Mark has to close his eyes and count to 10 before he does something he’ll regret while in uniform.

Not only did he let the culprits escape in an easy intro mission, but he also doesn’t manage to stop them from stealing the information. Granted, he had not known about the portal ability until too late, and the third out-of-location person sneaking in a new USB and then his target hiding it from him so he wouldn’t destroy it a second time was admittedly a smart idea. Elektōr— that was his name— had only ever acted alone, or so records had shown. Mark is going to have to make some revisions on his profile. This is at least a three person group, Elektōr likely the main assailant with Lucas’s opponent as backup, and the portal ability person giving directions and overseeing their “errands”. However, Mark did not see Elektōr wear an earpiece on either ear.

Mark decides to think about that more thoroughly later just as Lucas’ very loud voice interrupts his thoughts. 

“Yikes… That Plectō guy… I think I got shocked almost everywhere… I’m like partially numb now,” Lucas complains as he tries to rub some sensation back into his arm.

Mark is equally as grumpy as Lucas, but knows to keep it to himself. “Can you give me a description of what Plectō looked like? We need to add him onto the database as Elektōr’s accomplice.”

“Well, they were masked so I can’t tell you much. Approximately this tall, with dark brown hair?” Lucas brings a hand up to the approximate height. “He’s pretty lean, but his punches hurt a lot so he probably has a lot of muscle.”

Mark is typing this into his holoscreen as Lucas animatedly describes his fight with Plectō. Good thing the homeowner is away on vacation so they don’t have to deal with explaining the situation and apologizing for interrupting their sleep. Mark will have to have someone send a harshly worded letter on the dangers of leaving work information at home when they’re out of town for extended periods.

He closes the newly created profile for Plectō to open Elektōr’s. His hands get right to typing and before he even realizes he’s written a whole paragraph. Except the paragraph would be no use for NCT; it’s just him complaining and writing expletives about the asshole who is stealing information just _to be in the loop_ and how he likes to mock the authorities for fun and how he has that irritating grin constantly glued to his face as his eyes light up with an ocean blue glow—

“Wow, you seriously hate this guy huh,” Lucas observes, looking over his shoulder at the block of text he’s written.

“Hate is a strong word,” Mark replies, trying not to sound bitter.

“I never thought Mark Lee, the most composed trainee I know, could get this riled up. Real missions really are nothing like training huh, clearly they didn’t cover all the bases for their simulations—” Mark glares at Lucas, and he shuts up. Mark eventually sighs and deletes everything so he can write a more appropriate description for the higher ups. _Elektōr has dark brown hair with a cowlick that can’t seem to stay down, a tendency to enjoy provoking agents..._

“Hey, you just reminded me. Electricity-related ability users are usually the ones with the blue eyes right? I just realized Plectō’s eyes are magenta or pink. But I swear I was being shocked every time he hit me!” Lucas exclaims.

Mark sighs. Some powers had common eye colours associated with it, but it wasn’t 100% of the time. “He’s probably just a special case,” Mark dismisses, too tired to think of a more logical explanation. Lucas stays quiet until Mark finishes the write up. He’s almost done when he remembers the board he had broken right after Plectō had passed it along to Elektōr. He walks back to the study room, not caring if Lucas is following, and crouches down to look at its remains. It's a beautifully crafted piece of tech, gunmetal black like the colour of Plectō and Elektōr’s suit. He remembers seeing lines of blue moving across the board, only mobilizing together to strike. It was just like Elektōr’s suit, lines constantly dancing along the contours of his torso, arms, and legs. _The blue matches his eyes,_ Mark realizes, remembering the expression of nonchalance on Elektōr’s face.

“Plectō shocked you with this board right?” Mark confirms. He’d seen how the blue glow had come together right at the spot where Lucas’ punch had connected, and Lucas had recoiled his hand fast enough for Mark to know it wasn’t just the pain of hitting the board.

“Yeah, it shocked me the moment I hit it, kinda similar to Plectō’s attacks. Might be using the same mechanisms,” Mark hums in agreement. He doesn’t know how a group of low level thieves got a hold of this type of technology that even he hasn’t seen before in NCT’s arsenal, but he has to admit that it’s very innovative even if he doesn’t know how it works yet. It’s a shame he had to break it without seeing it much in action, but he can always go to the analysis unit to ask about the processes behind this board after he sends it over.

“I don’t know which one of the two, but at least one of them is higher than an 8,” Mark deduces after some thought.

“Probably Plectō right? I’m assuming Elektōr has some sort of hacking ability.”

Mark doesn’t confirm, because he only has evidence from tonight to work with. “It’s whoever is controlling the board and the suits,” Mark replies instead.

As he gears up to send the broken pieces to NCT headquarters for analysis, eyes glowing in the dark, Lucas shakes his head. “Man, I hate to admit it, but their suits were cool. Flashy and impractical maybe, but those glowing circuit designs all over looked amazing.”

“You can get the custom design you want once you’re no longer a new agent,” Mark’s eyes glow green again as he lifts the fragments of the board off the ground, watching it float out of the building towards NCT’s headquarters nearby. “For now you’ll have to stick with a plain black suit.” He can finally close the holoscreen and head back to his dorm to sleep. “Shall we go?” he asks finally and Lucas readily agrees.

  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


As Mark and Lucas walk towards their dorms in their regular clothes, Mark can feel the adrenaline fading as he returns to being Lee Minhyung, regular NCTU student. Now that he’s calmed down, he feels sorry for how snappy he was at Lucas today, so he starts a conversation as a silent apology.

“So Lucas—how was your first day?” Mark asks, breaking the long silence.

“Oh, it was so much fun getting to meet everyone. I made a lot of friends and one of them’s super smart, so he can probably help me a lot in my classes. I’m really excited for tomorrow!” Lucas visibly perks up at Mark striking a conversation.

“Yeah, sorry I won’t be able to help you out much. Although I’m surprised NCT didn’t put you in Chemistry as well, there’s a lot of thermodynamics in physical chemistry that I thought they’d want you to study.”

“Ah— they actually let me choose since thermodynamics shows up in a lot of fields, so I picked engineering because I thought it was cool and I’m deathly afraid of messing up in those chemistry labs and causing an explosion,” Lucas explains nervously.

Mark hums in agreement. Lucas is big and sometimes doesn’t realize his reach— Mark can definitely imagine Lucas knocking over glassware full of dangerous compounds or causing an explosion because he mixed the wrong chemicals together. Mark shakes his head, smiling at the imagery.

“By the way, anybody you could see yourself being interested in?” Now that Lucas is more at ease, he dives straight into interrogating his friend, a grin on his face.

Mark can feel the heat in his cheeks, wishing he could hide under his mask that he had already taken off. “Uh, my roommate was really cute. I really embarrassed myself though— He caught me asleep among my half packed things, so when he woke me up I thought I was caught oversleeping by Jay.”

“Oh wow, Mark, I was just joking,” Lucas looks genuinely shocked, eyes wider than usual and mouth hanging. “I didn’t seriously think that you’d…” Lucas leaves the last part unsaid, and Mark almost scoffs. What, did Lucas think he was some emotionless robot whose only goal was to become the best agent possible? Granted, it might’ve looked like that when they were training, but now that they were in university, Mark just wants to try being a regular student for once.

Lucas frowns eventually. “Careful not to get caught coming back. Maybe you should go through your window.”

Mark smiles grimly. “That was my plan.” Lucas finds that hilarious and slaps Mark hard on the back, seemingly having forgotten about the nasty kick Elektōr had gotten in. Mark hisses instinctively and Lucas jumps away like a surprised cat, sputtering a mess of an apology. He winces, assuring Lucas that he’s fine, and they reach an uncomfortable silence once again. He’ll have to see how bad it is when he gets into his dorm in one piece. His building comes into view soon after, so Lucas and he separate and say their goodbyes.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


“So… Why do we have agents after us now?” Injun starts, his tone sugary sweet but Donghyuck knows not to jump into a trap when he sees one.

“Um,” Donghyuck tries to delay his impending doom as much as possible. “I don’t know?”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Injun snaps, and Jaemin and Donghyuck physically recoil away. Donghyuck knows Injun is just worried about being caught (and rightfully so) so Donghyuck lets him continue his rant.

“Now that this happened, there’s going to be a fight every. Single. Time. The fire guy shouldn’t be a problem, but we can’t have that probably-an-object-manipulator-dude breaking all my USBs! And the board too—” 

“What—” exclaims Dongyoung, jolting up from where he had been silently watching on the couch. 

Injun continues on, waving at Dongyoung to talk later. “We only have so much funds from our past businesses with the information dealer. I need to eat, Jaemin needs his coffee, we have a _budget,_ Donghyuck, and we need to stick to—”

“So if I can get you food we can use your living expenses to get new USBs?” Donghyuck manages to cut in before Injun runs him into the ground.

“And coffee,” Jaemin adds pointedly.

“And coffee,” Donghyuck confirms.

Injun pauses in thought, then nods stiffly.

“Alright, time for me to take out some money from my scholarship!” Donghyuck wraps his arm around Jaemin’s neck, smiling from ear to ear now that Injun didn’t murder him alive.

“Don’t think we’re done yet, Hyuck,” Jaemin, who usually readily accepts Donghyuck’s affection, pushes him away.

 _Oh no, another lecture_ , Donghyuck thinks as Jaemin grabs a hold of both his shoulders.

“What were you thinking, taunting the agent?” Jaemin nags while shaking him back and forth. “And being so careless, too. You almost got toasted!”

“I’m sorry!” Donghyuck manages to say between shakes. “He was so boring so I tried to make it more entertaining!”

“Who are you trying to entertain? This isn’t a show, you’re not famous,” Jaemin continues badgering. “Well by the end of this we might be infamous,” Injun points out.

“I’m sorry Jaeminnie for worrying you,” Donghyuck finally frees himself from Jaemin’s grasp and gives him a big hug. “I’ll be more careful next time okay?”

Jaemin sighs, but doesn’t struggle out of his hold. Donghyuck eyes Injun, telling him to join the hug, and he “begrudgingly” joins as well.

“...Can I talk now?” Dongyoung finally asks, flinching when three pairs of eyes turn to glare at him for interrupting their bonding time.

“So what actually happened to the board?” he gulps out.

“I gave it to Hyuckie after saving him from getting roasted, but then the agent broke it right after,” Jaemin helpfully informs.

“And where is it now?”

“I left it on the scene,” Donghyuck leans his head on Injun who half-heartedly swats him away. “Should I have grabbed it?” He asks worriedly.

“No, it’s fine, nothing will be traceable to us, but NCT’s analysis unit might have a fun time trying to figure out how the board is made,” Dongyoung shrugs, leaning back into the couch.

“True,” Donghyuck grins, “After all, we have such an amazing engineer here to help us build all this stuff!”

“Yep, NCT missed out on talent, they’re probably regretting right now,” Jaemin continues to add to Dongyoung’s inflated ego.

Dongyoung proceeds to mock bow, dramatically twirling his arm as he bends down to the audience of three.

“By the way, Hyuck, do you want an ice pack?” Injun asks.

Donghyuck nods, grateful. He had been running on the rush of adrenaline from the fight that he didn’t even realize his face was still stinging until Injun brought it up.

There’s probably a bunch of bruises all over as well, but his face is the most obvious and in the most desperate need of a fix. He huffs as he takes the ice pack from Injun, pouting. If he doesn’t make a good impression on the first day of class tomorrow, he’s blaming Lee.

“We should discuss our future plans,” Injun exclaims after passing Donghyuck the ice pack. “After all, we should be prepared in case we see those agents again.”

Donghyuck claps his hands together while Dongyoung comes closer to join in on the conversation. “Let’s compile everything we know about them so far.”

“The fire guy’s name is Fȳren, and the other guy’s name is Môlos,” Jaemin starts. “Fȳren is strong, but he has a tendency to react reflexively, so it’s easy to trick him. I’m guessing he’s at least a 7? He said that they just graduated and this is their first mission, so they probably thought it would be easy to catch us,” Injun starts typing all this onto his holoscreen, but Donghyuck is slack-jawed, utterly confused at how Jaemin managed to find out this much.

“How… on earth?”

“Fȳren was pretty friendly, we were having a casual chat while I was trying to avoid getting arrested,” Jaemin shrugs nonchalantly.

Donghyuck pouts again. Fȳren sounds a lot more entertaining than Môlos, who had refused to do anything besides his job until he had made him angry. Poor guy, he needs a healthier emotional outlet. But even after finding out Lee’s agent name, Donghyuck wants to continue calling him Lee just to get a reaction out of him.

Injun finishes typing with a definitive click of his screen, and turns towards Donghyuck. “Any input?”

“... Môlos is fun to rile up and is a stickler for the rules?” Donghyuck adds hesitatingly. He got nothing useful from his conversation with Lee; almost everything he learnt about him was from Donghyuck reading between the lines. 

Injun sighs but types it in anyways, and Donghyuck feels incredibly incompetent in comparison to Jaemin.

“The only good thing that comes out of him being an object manipulator is that he legally cannot kill me,” Donghyuck adds with some afterthought.

“Or he probably would’ve done so by now,” Injun shakes his head with a smile.

“I’m not gonna lie, Hyuck, listening to your conversation with Môlos was… interesting,” he adds while swiping his holoscreen away.

That was as close as Donghyuck was going to being called entertaining, so Donghyuck will take it.

“So, what’s the plan now?” Dongyoung intercepts.

“I think I should permanently join Hyuck when he goes on the missions,” Jaemin replies.

“Do we have any plans to get Môlos to not break all of our stuff?”

There’s silence, which Donghyuck interrupts with a yawn.

Injun sighs, and opens a portal. “Go back, rest up, and sleep. You have school tomorrow.”

Jaemin pouts, wrapping his hand around Donghyuck’s arm. “I wanted to hear about your first day of university, but I’ll leave that for next time.”

Donghyuck stands up, watching Jaemin with a sad smile. “I promise you’ll be able to go one day,” 

“Stop being depressing and go before I close the portal,” Injun replies.

“Can you set it to open outside my dorm?” Donghyuck asks, and Injun nods in confirmation.

Donghyuck nods back, satisfied. He’s just about to enter the portal before he turns around.

“Injun-ah, can you be a darling and decrease the elevation of the exit please?”

Injun smirks, snapping his fingers. “Almost got you.”

Donghyuck shakes his head lovingly and steps into the portal to find himself right in front of his dorm room door. He didn’t bring out his card key, but he can just as easily unlock it without. As the door unlocks with a click, he wonders if Minhyung is awake, but it shouldn’t matter too much, he concludes as he opens the door.

  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


Mark heads straight for his bedroom window. He locked it when he left the same way, so his eyes glow a soft green as he pushes the handle down from the inside of his bedroom and sneaks in. He lands softly on his toes, careful of any noise around.

It’s completely silent— all the lights are off, so Donghyuck probably isn’t back from the party yet. He hopes Donghyuck’s classes don’t start early tomorrow, because it’s already 2 am.

Mark walks into the washroom and lifts his shirt. There’s a big variety of colours all over from tiny scratches and smaller bruises, but the most colorful one is on the side where he got kicked after Plectō had arrived on scene. He gently grazes his fingers over it and hisses when even that hurts. _It would be a good time to heal it now while Donghyuck is out,_ Mark thinks, and his eyes immediately start to glow. He’s just about to start when he hears the click of the door to the dorm unlock and he quickly tugs his shirt down. He looks frantically at the door to see if Donghyuck saw anything, but Donghyuck is too busy shuffling towards the couch to notice him. Like a good roommate, Mark decides to check on Donghyuck to make sure he hasn’t drank too much. So he walks over, only to see Donghyuck comfortably on the couch nursing his cheek.

Mark frowns. That doesn’t look good. “Hey, what happened to you?” He asks, still standing over Donghyuck.

“I’m a big clutz when I’m drunk— I didn’t even drink that much because I’m sober now! But anyways the dude had a stripper pole and I ran into it,” Donghyuck whines softly.

Mark can’t help but think Donghyuck being sulky is also very cute. He still can’t tell if Donghyuck’s cheek is swollen or if he’s pouting (or a combination of both), so he leans a little closer. “Is it just your cheek? You didn’t lose a tooth or something right?” Mark asks worriedly.

“No, it’s just the cheek,” Donghyuck replies with a huff.

Mark smiles. “If it’s just your cheek then I can fix you up,” he offers, rolling his sleeves.

Donghyuck’s eyes widen. “Are you a healer?”

Mark smiles wider. “Yeah,” That’s what it officially says on his ID anyways. “Let me see it,” and Donghyuck finally takes his hand off his cheek. Mark’s eyes glow green just as it had moments ago, and as he puts his hand over it, the swelling decreases, and Donghyuck’s cheek looks just as soft as it had this morning. He wonders what it would feel like to— never mind.

“Wow, thank you so much,” Donghyuck replies in awe. He swipes up his holoscreen and checks his cheek in the reflection, admiring how his cheek fully healed. “That’s an awesome ability to have that could help so many people.”

Mark smiles then slides his hand under his shirt to fix himself up too. Now that Donghyuck was here, he wasn’t going to freely lift his shirt as he had before.

Now it’s Donghyuck’s turn to frown as Mark’s eyes light up again. “Did you hurt yourself too?”

Mark had thought up a lie beforehand, so it flows out of him easily. “Ah, I fell asleep on the desk and then hit my side when I fell off my chair.”

Donghyuck smiles and shakes his head as Mark finishes healing his side. “We’re both so clumsy, if we ever hang out we’re going to have to watch each others’ backs,” Donghyuck laughs quietly.

“Yeah, definitely,” Mark smiles. It’s an easy excuse that Donghyuck offers him which would explain most of his future injuries away, so he takes it.

“Honestly, with your ability, I’m surprised you don’t want to study medicine,” Donghyuck suddenly changes the topic, grabbing the first aid kit to put bandages on the smaller cuts on Mark’s hands that he can’t be bothered to heal.

“Ah, I’ve always been interested in chemistry before my abilities started showing. I didn’t want my ability to dictate my future, but I do want to double major in physiology,” Mark replies somewhat awkwardly as he sits down on the couch besides Donghyuck (All of this is true, even if the latter isn’t possible. He has to thank Jeno for being so good at deflecting questions).

Donghyuck returns to look curiously at Mark, and he notices the heat spreading to his ears. Was that too socially unacceptable? Mark had just told the truth. Yes, NCT had dictated all his life decisions so he would have the best opportunities to become a better agent, and they chose chemistry because they saw the value in the combative use of his ability. However, he doesn’t regret being a part of NCT— in fact, he’s very proud to be an agent. But Mark does sometimes think about how it would be a waste not knowing how to heal when he has the ability to do so, which is why he learned some of the basics. NCT will never approve his double major though, as he barely has enough time handling things right now as it is.

“Wow, Minhyung, that's a really good thing. Not a lot of people think about their identities outside of their abilities like that,” Donghyuck stops bandaging Mark's finger, pulling him out of his thoughts. Mark looks down to see Donghyuck’s eyes full of… admiration? Mark isn’t good with feelings, he doesn’t know. All he knows is that Donghyuck looks lovely with his eyes glowing naturally in the night, the reflection of the moonlight showing up like stars in his eyes. Before he knows it, he puts his newly bandaged hand over Donghyuck’s, ignoring the heat emanating from his face.

“Mark,” He says eventually, swallowing his nervousness. Mark was the name his parents had given him, the one he only lets Lucas and Johnny use.

Donghyuck tilts his head slightly, confused. “Huh?”

“You can call me Mark if you want, that’s my English name.”

“Oh, okay, Mark,” Donghyuck says shyly, and Mark knows this crush he has is in full bloom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that the chapters aren’t always going to be of this length, some are shorter than the first two!
> 
> Writing Markhyuck arguing came so easily to me? I think that says a lot about what I think of their interactions LOLL
> 
> If anyone wants a visual of what [Donghyuck and Mark's suits](https://twitter.com/2amcoffeerants/status/1250151853414739969?s=20) look like
> 
> I’m going to try and post a chapter every two-ish weeks, but I’m currently studying for a really big exam and ch 9 - 12 is when all hell breaks loose so we’ll have to see how the updating schedule goes…
> 
> Next chapter: More action (or my bad attempts at it), and time to get the plot rolling!
> 
> [my twt](https://twitter.com/2amcoffeerants)


	3. A Secret Identity III: Jung Yoonoh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jung Yoonoh: Master’s student at NCTU. Currently: Too tired to deal with this emergency (He’s not paid enough for this).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank my new beta, Erika, who decided to read over this fic for me 💖I didn't want to rush her so most of chapter 2 is done (I updated it with mostly minor details and one extra back and forth between Mark and Hyuck if you want to read it), however this is still unbetaed. I'll probably update it eventually with the edits once it's betaed!

### Federal Agency of Neural Competency: Overview

The largest and most powerful sector of the government. The current head of operations is Johnny Seo, who has been leading NCT for the last five years. NCT is the principal sponsor of the country’s leading university NCTU, a facility designed to foster the new generation’s potential to contribute to society in a meaningful manner. Scouts are often found on campus trying to recruit high level users to work at the agency, especially for the most famous branch of NCT which consists of active field agents who live among regular civilians but execute missions as directed by Mr. Seo.

NCT also understands the importance of fostering youth at a young age and offers an early entry training program where teens who have been tested with a level above 6.5 at the age of 16 can apply to become a field agent. There, they will be able to receive the best quality education in controlling their abilities and maximizing their level through NCT’s thorough training process. They will be provided with all living needs such as housing and food at one of NCT’s training facilities of a location unknown to the public. Participants of the early entry program graduate as fully-fledged agents at the age of 18 where the agency provides them with a guaranteed university admission to NCTU and cover job placement after graduation. Eventually, their children and spouse will be allowed to live in the many residences NCT provides at no cost. Hence, this is a highly sought over and prestigious job that guarantees job satisfaction and security.

However, in situations where high ability users decide against working at the agency (as a field agent or otherwise), they must submit an application and justification for the job they have chosen, and the agency must approve of the position before they can begin. This is to ensure that ability users are contributing back to society with the maximum potential possible. Individuals can refer to the pre-approved list of agency jobs and the level requirements written in the Worker’s Act before applying to ensure smooth authorization.

The Federal Agency of Neural Competency is currently undergoing extensive research on ability manipulation, and have found ways to manipulate and transfer abilities. NCT currently holds the patent to the anti-DTH handcuffs that are authorized for use in all agencies around the world. While it successfully inhibits the ability usage of arrested parties, ability manipulation and transfer is still a new domain of research. Further testing is needed before details can be made known to the public.

### Federal Agency of Neural Competency: Active Agents (Classified)

Agent 507: Jay

Family lineage: Jung 245

Civilian Identity: Jung Yoonoh

Ability: Fire Wielder (Enhancement/Embodiment type)

Level: 8.1

Additional information: Currently the head of the NCT trainee program. Is only dispatched for missions in cases of emergency.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

Donghyuck presses the trigger, and a large electric-blue beam (too large, he thinks) shoots out of the gun, hitting near dead center of the target. A clear resonant boom can be heard from across the dome-like arena as the static energy in the air starts to die down. Returning the gun to its designated platform, Donghyuck rests his hands on his knees, feigning exhaustion. He eyes his score on the holoscreen, internally wincing as the number continues to increase. That was much more output than he had intended to let out; he had been distracted thinking about his cute raven-haired roommate and their almost-kinda-maybe study date at the library right after finishing up at the lab with Sicheng today.

Donghyuck has always dreaded the annual ranking evaluations because as someone who did not-so-legal things at night, being this close to NCT officials and people who could arrest him is a huge risk. He can’t blow his cover about his capabilities. When he was younger, he downplayed his abilities so he wouldn't have the agency breathing down his back, but now he just doesn't want to be someone with allegedly no training but a suspiciously high level.

Dongyoung had created a prototype evaluator that used an approximation of NCT’s algorithm to test ability ratings, and although no one knew exactly what NCT’s evaluation criteria for “potential” was, Donghyuck was already approximately at an 8.7. A jump from 6.8 to 8.7 and beyond would definitely be a cause for interrogation, and then Donghyuck can kiss his current life goodbye.

The podium where the gun fits perfectly in its designated slot slowly retracts into the floor. Now that he’s standing alone in such an open space without any of his gear, he feels extremely vulnerable as he waits while the stern-looking evaluator types up some comments about who knows what (Not about his suspiciously high accuracy, Donghyuck pleads).

He’s just about convinced himself that he messed up and is starting to imagine living the rest of his life on the run when the evaluator heads towards him with a warm smile that looks out of place considering how impersonal he had looked before.

“Lee Donghyuck: you did a very good job today. Your baseline score for your specific ability has always been high, and both your individual skill and stamina has increased, so your overall level has gone up by 0.2.” The evaluator looks up, and Donghyuck attempts to make it look like he’s trying to hold his excitement in because of his increase in rank, but he doesn’t have to try too hard to look happy because he isn’t going to get arrested today.

“As you know, you were originally at a 6.8. This 0.2 increase means you’re now in the top 30 percent of ability users on the database of information collected on all users around the world, and you’ve just barely made it into the top quartile of ability users in Korea. That is an astounding feat for a university student who isn’t under NCT’s vigorous agency training program.”

 _Oh boy,_ Donghyuck thinks as the evaluator swipes up to view his profile on his holoscreen again. _I’m going to hear the NCT hiring spiel again, aren’t I?_

“I see you just barely missed the cut off for the youth entry program when you did your ability assessment at the age of 16. Would you be interested in applying through the regular stream now? Of course, we will let you finish your studies first, but since you are above the 6.5 threshold, you _are_ required to either work for NCT or apply for a job that NCT deems is suitable for your level. If you accept, you don’t have to worry about finding a job after you graduate as you’ll have one waiting for you here. If you successfully pass your training, you can utilize your abilities to the fullest as a field agent, and if not, we will guarantee you another position in NCT instead. Even among the employees at NCT, your level is already right in the middle of the pack, so you will fit in perfectly. I can see you have real potential, and your ability would be a very useful contributio—”

“Thank you very much, but I’ve had my eyes set on being an engineer for a while now. I really appreciate the job offer though. If I change my mind, I’ll be sure to let you know?” Donghyuck puts on his best smile, wishing he could leave for school. He starts shuffling towards the exit, hoping the evaluator will take the hint and just let him go. “I really have to get to school,” he adds to further his reason for being in a rush.

The evaluator studies him, evidently wanting to talk more, but only nods his head as a sign of dismissal.

With a mental cheer, Donghyuck thanks the evaluator as he jogs the rest of the way out, grabbing his bag and jumping on his skateboard, heading to the engineering district where Sicheng’s lab resides. He follows the crowd of students and staff walking towards the main entrance of the Engineering research facility but diverts at the last minute to the stairwell on the side of the building that leads to the basement instead.

Donghyuck jumps off his skateboard before climbing down the many flights of stairs, excited to see Sicheng again.

He peeks into the door of the lab before entering. Donghyuck has learnt from the last few times that Sicheng hates when his focus is broken and is incredibly jumpy when he opens the door and lets all the natural light in.

The basement lab is dusty, two of the four rows of fluorescent lights on the ceiling in need of replacing. Donghyuck wishes Sicheng would say something to the management about it, but he had only shaken his head and said he already tried.

“Donghyuck,” Sicheng acknowledges while keeping his eyes focused on his prototype. It seems he’s working on his side project today, one of the many gadgets Sicheng has in mind for NCT’s use.

“I bought you coffee,” Donghyuck slides in easily, now familiar with the messily arranged piles of gear everywhere. Sicheng turns around, watching his every step until he puts the coffee down five feet away from anything that can be damaged by the bitter caffeine mixture.

“Thank you, Donghyuck,” Sicheng replies, and Donghyuck gets quickly to work. Sicheng doesn’t need to talk with Donghyuck for him to know what to do. They’ve gotten to know each other very well after Sicheng had invited him to hang out at a nearby coffee shop for mentor-mentee bonding time on Donghyuck’s first day as his mentee.

“So, Donghyuck, I’ve been curious,” Donghyuck remembers Sicheng asking that day after they had both settled down, rubbing his thumb over the rim of his cup of black coffee. “What was the real reason you decided to pick me?”

“You mean besides me being interested in biotech?” Donghyuck asked jokingly. He knew Sicheng was still a little wary of having a 6.8 under his wing, and Donghyuck wanted to prove to Sicheng that he did not apply with bad intentions.

“You remind me of my brother,” Donghyuck had added later. “We’re not related by blood; his name is Kim Dongyoung, but your circumstances are very similar.”

“Dongyoung found me during a really dark time in my life,” Donghyuck continued. “Or should I say I found him,” he added with a small smile. “He also graduated from NCTU with an engineering degree, and Dongyoung doesn’t ever mention it, but he’s a lower level.” Donghyuck hated that term, it was such an elitist phrase that insinuated a class division between people who were able to wield powers and people who couldn’t. But that’s exactly what people thought, wasn’t it? And that was exactly why Sicheng had a hard time believing Donghyuck.

Sicheng leaned forward towards Donghyuck, intrigued by Dongyoung’s backstory. “So what does he do now?”

Donghyuck had closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before continuing. “He applied to work at NCT as an engineer, but he didn’t get it.”

Sicheng visibly deflated, but his eyes remained determined, the fiery resolution unwavering. “That won’t happen to me,” Sicheng exclaimed, clenching his cup a little tighter.

Donghyuck smiled at that, eyes reflecting the same determination as Sicheng. “Yes, I believe in you. You are one of the most hardworking people I know.” _Hardworking despite all the circumstances pitted against him; continues to be hardworking despite knowing his odds._

Sicheng had looked down at his coffee, his thumb still grazing over his cup of unsipped coffee.

“Thank you, Donghyuck. It really means a lot to me to hear you say that.” He replied eventually as if he had finally wandered out of the haze of thoughts to find himself again. 

“You’re welcome! I’m happy to talk anytime!” Donghyuck answered cheerfully with a little fist bump in the air.

Sicheng had laughed at Donghyuck’s attempt to cheer him up before returning back to a more somber tone.

“You really do remind me of my brother,” Sicheng observed, a faraway look in his eyes that Donghyuck had recognized immediately. He knew that look, had seen it in the reflection of his own eyes years ago.

Donghyuck reached for Sicheng’s hand as silent support, hopefully communicating that he understood his pain.

“I haven’t seen him in years— I only know he’s alive because he sends money every month,” Sicheng had shaken his head, a bittersweet smile on his face.

“He should know I could never use his hard-earned money like that; I never used any of it except for when Mum and Dad died,” Sicheng continued, a shadow cast over his face.

“But it’s okay though, I have an awesome younger brother like you now,” Sicheng had then put on a brave face, squishing Donghyuck’s cheeks.

Donghyuck smiled for Sicheng, pulling at his mentor’s cheeks as well. “And I have you,” he replied. 

They eventually laughed at how ridiculous it must’ve looked to have two university students pulling at each other’s cheeks at a café, and then moved on to talk about Donghyuck’s interests and how he felt adjusting to university.

Donghyuck was really glad he chose Sicheng as his mentor. He had seemed stoic in the beginning, reluctant to believe in Donghyuck’s enthusiasm in his project and thesis. But after getting to know Sicheng, Donghyuck only found a caring older brother who made sure Donghyuck was eating well and taking care of himself.

After laughing about how Mark had accidentally used sugar instead of salt one day when he was in charge of cooking, Donghyuck quiets down in deep thought. “Sicheng, can I hug you?” he asked, more a statement than a question. “I think you need a hug,” he added in confirmation as he got up from his chair before Sicheng could protest.

Sicheng then made a noise like a lost puppy (and wow, Donghyuck had never heard Sicheng make a noise like that before) as Donghyuck hugged him, his chin resting gently on top of Sicheng's head.

Donghyuck had let himself close his eyes for one second, hugging Sicheng tightly, breathing in his familiar warmth.

Sicheng then interrupted the heartwarming moment with his squirming and Donghyuck let go.

 _Not touchy. Noted._ Donghyuck smiled brightly at Sicheng who looked unsure at how to go on from here.

Sicheng had then cleared his throat and chugged the rest of his coffee in one go before announcing that they both needed to go back to the lab. And now here they were, two months into their friendship that Donghyuck could never dream of losing.

Now that they were both comfortable with each other, Donghyuck could start to read the little changes in Sicheng’s countenance when he was working on a prototype or sketching out a model. Whether he was in the mood for black coffee or a green tea frappuccino. In just two months, Sicheng had become a constant in Donghyuck’s life, a brother who he wanted to see succeed and fulfill his dreams.

The hours pass quickly, and Sicheng is soon satisfied with his progress and dismisses Donghyuck with a ruffle of his hair. With a grin and goodbye, Donghyuck picks up his skateboard and heads out of the lab room, the sunlight causing him to wince slightly.

He’s just finished climbing the last few steps from the basement lab when he bumps into Xuxi who looks like he’s about to enter the research facility’s main entrance. Recognition sparks in his eyes as they give each other a fist bump as a greeting. The two months of classes with Xuxi had been fun, and although Xuxi’s almost always a little confused in class, he helps Donghyuck stay awake in some not so interesting lectures.

“Hey, what’s up! You’re here to help your mentor?” Donghyuck asks after he realizes that they never mentioned their mentors even though they had classes together. “You never told me who you decided to go with,” Donghyuck elbows Xuxi playfully.

“Ah, I’m under J- Yoonoh,” Xuxi replies, looking slightly abashed.

Out of everyone, Donghyuck is surprised that Xuxi decided to go to Yoonoh. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with Yoonoh— he was incredibly nice like the rest of the grad students, but Xuxi had seemed incredibly wary and unlike himself (even though Donghyuck had only known him for less than a day then) when he had talked to Yoonoh for reasons unbeknownst to him. Xuxi had never even heard of the words “streamwise flow-induced oscillations of bluff bodies” strung together until Yoonoh had mentioned it, so Donghyuck didn’t think he’d be interested. However, it’s not in his right to say what Xuxi does and does not enjoy, so he keeps these thoughts to himself.

“Do you want to come by and see? Yoonoh has been so sad since you didn’t pick him as your mentor,” Xuxi adds a bit later.

Donghyuck perks up. He’s always interested in seeing what’s up and coming in Engineering, and even if he didn’t end up choosing Yoonoh, he’d like to think they were close enough acquaintances to have a friendly chat. “I’d love to, if it isn’t a bother,” Donghyuck eventually replies.

“Oh, of course not, he’s just a little bitter that he lost the top entering Engineering student to Sicheng, that’s all,” Xuxi answers.

Donghyuck frowns at that, a slight pause in his step before he continues towards the elevator. “Wait, how do you know I’m under Sicheng?”

Xuxi chokes on thin air, stuttering. “J-Yoonoh mentioned it.”

“Hm, interesting,” Donghyuck replies after listening to Xuxi’s response. He wonders if J-Yoonoh is a nickname Xuxi created for his mentor or one that Yoonoh actually goes by.

They enter the glass elevator, and Xuxi presses the button to the top floor. Unlike where Sicheng’s lab was located, the design for the upper grounds allows as much sunlight in as possible, the ambience bright and cheerful. Donghyuck doesn’t understand why there’s such a sharp contrast in design and level of neglect between the upper and lower floors, and then the elevator doors open and he doesn’t know what to think anymore.

Yoonoh has the entire floor to himself. Everything is pristine— the white of the floor, ceilings, and walls almost blinding. Automated machinery is running nonstop, and there’s a crowd of students helping him, each with professional looking personal protective equipment.

Donghyuck feels his blood boil and closes his hands into tight fists to minimize the shaking.

“Are all the labs on the upper floors like this?” he manages to choke out.

“Yeah, the general set up is the same,” Xuxi replies cautiously, seemingly able to discern the hint of anger in Donghyuck’s voice.

Yes, Donghyuck is angry. He’s angry for Sicheng, who practically lives in his dark single room basement lab with the two fluorescent lights that refuse to work. Who has to work around the piles of prototypes he has laying on the floor because there’s no bench space.

He knew Sicheng having a lower rank would mean some form of discrimination, but he didn’t expect _this_.

“Sorry, Xuxi, I realized I have something to do,” He adds before Yoonoh can see him. He feels ill watching this blatant inequality, and he doesn’t know if he can talk to Yoonoh without agitation laced in his voice.

“Oh, okay,” Xuxi, who usually would have asked Donghyuck to stay, replies softly. “I’ll see you soon, yeah?”

Donghyuck responds with a tight lipped smile, gingerly reentering the elevator. He waves with as much fake enthusiasm as he can muster before the elevator door closes shut, and he immediately drops his hand to his side.

Everything was so bright, clean and pristine and perfect. The perfect research facility to show off the prowess of NCTU’s engineering department. Donghyuck knew it was no one person’s fault. No one _picked_ Sicheng to move into the dusty outdated laboratory room underground. It was most likely decided by level and it just so happened that the underground lab was the only one left. He knows it’s not Yoonoh’s fault. But it’s instances like this when he wants to go and talk to NCT's head of operations, because does he know about the staggering disparity of treatment between levels? Why isn’t he doing anything about it?

He’s immersed in his thoughts, simmering in his anger, trapped in this glass cage when he grabs a hold of his bracelet hidden under his hoodie and takes a much needed breath. He has a study date to go to, and despite how he finds this treatment towards Sicheng unfair, he should not carry this angry sentiment over to Mark. He closes his eyes and tries to think happy thoughts. _I’m going on a study date with Mark, he’s waiting for me, he’ll be there, all smiles, wearing his cute glasses again._

The elevator arrives on the ground floor with a gentle ring, and Donghyuck opens his eyes, much calmer than when he initially entered the elevator.

He walks straight out of the escalator to the exit without a second glance. Stepping smoothly onto his skateboard, he heads to the library.

Mark is already studying with his earphones plugged in when Donghyuck gets to the seat Mark had saved for him, and he’s welcomed with a smile Donghyuck wouldn’t trade for the world, previous anger melting away.

“Hey,” Donghyuck whispers with a smile of his own as he pulls out the chair to sit down. Midterm season is right around the corner, and as much as he loves to hang out on the couch with Mark nightly or eat dinner together discussing nothing and everything, Donghyuck has to make sure he does well so as not to get his scholarship revoked. He looks at the boy next to him one more time, slightly nodding to a beat Donghyuck can’t hear and doing that thing where his lips are slightly pursed when he’s thinking. Donghyuck then turns back and opens up his holoscreen. Alright, time to get some work done…

  
  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


Over the last two months that Mark has gotten to know Donghyuck, Mark realizes one big thing about him— Donghyuck is very affectionate and loves everything from gently poking someone’s cheek to bone-crushing hugs. Mark isn’t used to being this physically intimate with someone, but he likes it when it’s Donghyuck.

Mark thinks sometimes Donghyuck doesn’t even notice he’s doing it, like the first time when they were sitting next to each other during Johnny’s welcome speech and their legs were slightly touching, or how he throws himself back and expects someone to be there to catch him when he laughs really hard, or like that one time when he was napping on the couch and had clung onto Mark’s sweater with two fingers while Mark was studying beside him.

Donghyuck is currently doing that leg grazing thing again, but then he leans over and rests his head on Mark’s right arm, snaking his left hand slightly over Mark’s right. Mark stills right away, finger hovering over his holoscreen. He looks down to see the crown of Donghyuck’s head and the soft brown hair he’s grown to recognize the boy with. It’s within kissable distance, Mark notices, and then he thinks about how he wants to kiss the top of Donghyuck’s head. These are new thoughts, but Mark doesn’t push them away. They make him feel giddy and warm inside, so they are a very welcome break from his worries about school and that one annoyingly resistant information broker he’s been dealing with lately.

The crown of hair is soon replaced with large round eyes and a button nose. It was just Donghyuck looking up at him, but even that brings Mark so much warmth. Mark has never liked someone like this before, and unlike the crushes he had when he was younger, the fluster and bashfulness he’d get from preteen crushes is replaced with the contentment from just looking at the sparkle in Donghyuck’s eyes.

“Is this okay?” Donghyuck asks, probably because Mark has stopped working to look (admire) at him.

“Yeah, you’re warm. I like it.” Mark replies, still looking at those eyes that are so full of depth and sincerity. Mark wants to know everything about this boy that there is to know— His dreams and ambitions. Where he’d like to go on a vacation. If he dreams of Mark as he does of him at night. If he likes Mark back.

Donghyuck smiles and goes back to focus on his work, nuzzling a little closer to Mark’s arm as he does. Mark is so content, just frozen in time like this in the library, Donghyuck and Mark, Mark and Donghyuck, when his watch buzzes. Mark sighs— it only rings when NCT has emergencies that require his presence immediately.

Donghyuck has noticed Mark’s change in mood, looking back up at Mark a second time. Mark really doesn’t want to go. Mark was one of the best in his graduating batch, and his loyalty was undeniable. However, right this moment, he just wishes he was a regular university student with regular university student problems. He runs his fingers through his hair and then swipes his holoscreen away.

“I forgot I have to help Yuta at the lab today, I have to go now or he’s going to get mad at me,” Mark says quietly while packing the rest of his things. Yuta, his NCT-assigned mentor who was another distinguished field agent from batch 500, probably got the same notification as Mark and is heading out of the lab now.

“Your mentor, right?” Donghyuck pushes his chair out and stretches a little, back arching as his hands go up. He puts his arms back down, resting his head on one, smiling at Mark. “From what I’ve heard from you I highly doubt he’ll get mad, but you still should try to make it on time!”

Mark smiles back. Yuta would never get mad at him even if it wasn’t an emergency like now, but of course, he can’t tell Donghyuck that. Donghyuck gives him a soft goodbye and Mark runs out of the library as quickly as possible while reading the debrief on his watch.

_“Code Black: All available agents to be dispatched. Target at NCTU Engineering district. Remove civilians in close proximity and minimize property damage. Highest priority: Capture target ALIVE.”_

Code Black was a serious public safety concern alright. Reserved only for situations involving highly ranked ability users that were considered a dangerous threat, they were few and far between. After all, almost all high level users worked for the government and had enough pride in their contributions to the public that they didn’t have reason to cause harm. High ranking users have always had it ingrained in them since birth that they had the responsibility to uphold morals and help others as the stronger individuals of the community.

Right then, a blaring warning of a woman repeating “Code black. Please evacuate away from the Engineering district and head to muster zones.” is heard all throughout campus, and Mark clenches his teeth and runs faster.

  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


Mark arrives in his suit and full disguise, high up in the air observing the situation. It seems Lucas and Jaehyun are here already, which makes sense as most of their classes would be here. Unfortunately, Mark can quickly tell that their abilities are not compatible against the target’s— the target seems to be a steel or metal manipulator, and there really isn’t much fire wielders can do except defend. He quickly flies down to help out when the target drops a metal girder on top of Lucas and Jaehyun, but a quick burst of fire melts the area where the beam would have hit them. When another beam comes down on them again, Mark interferes, stopping its descent.

“Môlos!” Lucas shouts, already looking mildly scratched up. Jaehyun, or Jay, looks up and gives him a thumbs up.

“Stay back for now! I’ll handle him and you help the people nearby evacuate!” Mark shouts down as he flies straight towards the target. The target looks to be a mid 30s man, probably crazy, laughing hysterically as he rips the steel framework out of buildings to use as a large baseball bat, like a child who has found a new toy to play with. Unfortunately, since NCTU is always up to date with the newest advances in technology, there are a lot of buildings built with metal components. The only thing Mark will be able to do is to try and stop the target from pulling parts out and stopping any scaffolding from damaging or hurting people and property.

Despite being at least 30, the man looks as if he experienced this ability for the first time like a child who isn’t aware of how to use his limbs. He’s managed to use somewhat similar sized metal pillars like large stilts so he’s currently towering above the smaller one storey buildings, seemingly trying to rip out any source of metal he can find. He visibly doesn’t know what to do with all of it except to occasionally fling it across other buildings, but he currently just has a large collection of chunks surrounding him like projectiles ready to shoot at a moment’s notice. The main issue with the pieces near him is that he is continually ripping out more while not being able to keep that many afloat, so the old ones start plummeting to the ground, causing damage and possibly injuring anybody who’s below.

With this quick analysis, Mark understands why the target is a code black. With Mark currently being the only one who can do much against him, he prays that Yuta hurries fast, because this may be too much for him to handle alone.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

Donghyuck has his headphones on, jamming to his music as he studies. He hadn’t put them on while Mark was still here at the library with him because it would have been extremely uncomfortable wearing headphones while leaning on Mark’s arm. He had actually decided to do that on a whim, and when Mark had stiffened up Donghyuck initially had the dreadful thought that maybe he had been misreading things these past two months. He really does like Mark a lot, and could see it blossoming into something more. And even though Mark had to leave early, Donghyuck is happy to call this “date” a success. Donghyuck does hope that Mark doesn’t get reprimanded though. Mark had talked about Yuta a few times, and from what Mark had said, Yuta really does seem to adore him, constantly ruffling his hair in the lab when that was probably a safety hazard. 

Right then, a blaring warning throughout what used to be the quiet library interrupts his thoughts. “Code black. Please evacuate away from the Engineering district and head to muster zones.” blasts through the speakers, and despite the calm intonation of the woman speaking, the siren sound in the background mitigate the effect, and the students start panicking.

“Code Black? Are we going to be okay?”

“Engineering isn’t too far from here, I hope we’ll be okay when we evacuate…”

“I’ve never witnessed a Code Black before, I didn’t think those actually happened…”

Donghyuck can hear the frantic murmurs of the nearby students, and he quickly packs his things. Damn him and his curiosity; he wants to know what’s going on, and maybe even help out if NCT needs it. Also, a lot of his friends were likely at the Engineering district right now. Yes, he doesn’t want to be an NCT field agent, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help his friends out. Having decided, Donghyuck puts his skateboard down and speeds towards the Engineering district.

ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


Mark is flying around the target avoiding projectiles thrown at him from all sides as he tries to get close enough to engage in physical combat. The target’s maniacal laughter reminds Mark of Elektōr’s constant patronizing grin, but he might say it irritates him more because Elektōr doesn’t play around with hundreds of lives like this. He’s repelling all the beams like water, but he’s getting frustrated because he isn’t getting any closer. There is too much metal around, he needs to be faster without having to waste time deflecting— 

“Môlos!” a voice calls, and Mark smiles. He’d recognize that voice anymore.

“Mōtōrios!” He calls back, not needing to look to know Yuta was fighting alongside him.

Although Yuta didn’t have the exact same ability as Mark, it was close enough that the agency had paired them up. Afterall, Mark’s ability wasn’t very common, so having Yuta, an object manipulator, as his mentor was as good as it was going to get.

“Good job kiddo for holding on for so long,” Yuta exclaims as he deflects one of the target’s many scaffolds, eyes glowing a dark green. They’re finally making progress, slowly inching their way closer to the source of all this havoc. It’s a long and arduous process— dodge or deflect, move in until another joist was directed at him, repeat.

Maybe they’ll finally get to him, Mark thinks, ready to permanently stop the target from hurting more people.

“Môlos!” He hears Yuta yell in a panicked tone. What was wrong? 

Then he feels the pain blossom across his chest before his eyes register the pole hitting him dead center.

The next thing he knows is that he’s being propelled backwards like a swatted fly as he blacks out.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


Donghyuck reaches the perimeter of the Engineering district when he sees an agent calling on people to evacuate away from the scene. Donghyuck wants to go _in_ , not out, so he stops riding his skateboard and sneaks around on the opposite end of the stone walkway. He sees the building where Sicheng’s lab is located right ahead and observes that it looks abandoned, immensely relieving Donghyuck. The relief doesn’t last long when he sees Sicheng climb up the stairs from underground holding gear that piles up past his nose, barely able to see where he’s walking. _It’s his prototypes,_ Donghyuck realizes in dismay. Of course, he wouldn’t bear to leave them there with the risk of being destroyed or lost forever.

He’s just about to run across and help Sicheng when he sees a large piece of what looks to be half of a steel beam hurling right towards the lab building.

There's no time to think. He jumps back on his board as he flies the rest of the distance to Sicheng, immediately jumping off and holding it up to emit a magnetic force that is (hopefully) strong enough to repel against the beam. He braces for impact, his shoulders receiving the brunt of the momentum as he stands in front of Sicheng. Even expecting it, Donghyuck has to push away the pain, clenching his teeth as he pushes against the weight of the metal along with the repulsive force and momentum in front of him with all his strength. With a groan, the hunk of steel falls on the ground beside him, and Donghyuck drops the board, gripping his left shoulder. That might’ve dislocated his shoulder, he doesn’t know.

“Oh my gosh, Donghyuck, are you alright?” Sicheng drops his prototype (albeit very carefully) and holds onto both sides of Donghyuck. Donghyuck almost wants to wince from how tight Sicheng is holding onto him, but then he notices the tremors travelling through Sicheng’s hand. He’s shaking, probably with shock at what had just happened or almost happened to him. Donghyuck doesn’t know what to do to comfort Sicheng, so he does what would comfort him the most in this situation: a hug.

“It’s okay hyung, everything’s fine now.” He ignores the pain in his shoulder the hug causes in favour of comforting his mentor and friend. Sicheng eases into the hug only for a few seconds, relishing the comfort before trying to squirm out of Donghyuck’s grasp. _Right, Sicheng isn’t a touchy person_ , Donghyuck muses. He watches Sicheng take a long breath to calm down, eyes closed. When he opens them again, his eyes return with the calm aura that it usually brings, and Donghyuck smiles.

“I have to go now,” Donghyuck says quietly. He still hasn’t seen the person that triggered the code black even though he can hear the distant sounds of chaos and combat.

“Donghyuck—” Sicheng calls out, and Donghyuck turns around.

“Just— bring your skateboard next time so I can see the mechanics inside,” Sicheng doesn’t mention how Donghyuck managed to stop a massive hurtling beam coming towards them, and he’s immensely thankful for that.

“Of course, Hyung. I’ll see you later, yeah?” Donghyuck says as he jumps back on his skateboard towards the source of all this destruction.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


The closer Donghyuck flies towards the center of the engineering district, the more damage he sees inflicted on the buildings. Some look like they’re barely hanging on, about to disintegrate with a single nudge. From the scare with Sicheng just now, Donghyuck can tell the code black is likely a manipulator. Donghyuck doesn’t know whether it’s only steel, metal or just objects in general, but it’ll be much easier to handle for Donghyuck if it’s only steel or metal. He’s in his suit now, having given Sicheng his backpack for safekeeping. He wonders how the agents are faring; maybe even Lee will be there.

A loud blast suddenly triggers a dust storm, coating everything in view with a smoky grey. He coughs and flies up towards higher ground for some clean air when he sees a pair of eyes glowing dark green above him. He stops in his tracks immediately, but it’s too late when the agent looks down and frowns at him.

“Who are you?” the agent asks with obvious authority in his tone. With no NCT badge on his suit, Donghyuck is instantly recognizable as an outlier. Also, the fact that he’s currently flying on a custom-made board made by Dongyoung makes it even more obvious.

The agent starts heading towards him (probably to detain him from obstructing his mission) when a metal pole shoots out from the clouds of dust in their general direction and the agent has to focus back on his main task.

As the agent raises his arm to try to stop the path of the pillar, Donghyuck flies up towards him to alleviate the load. He needs the board to fly though, so he can only turn sideways and eject a large repulsive force before being pushed away. “I can help if it’s just you fighting right now!” Donghyuck yells as he flies back towards the agent. He doesn’t see any other agents nearby, and this guy looks like he’s starting to tire out. _How long has he been holding on by himself?_

“You are a civilian. I don't know where you got all this tech from, but you need to leave this to the professionals. Now go fly back to safety!” This time a plate slices horizontally through the grey and both Donghyuck and the agent are barely able to dodge it. Thankfully, the swing also clears the dust nearby so Donghyuck can finally see the big picture.

Donghyuck gasps as the dust starts to dissipate, taking in the damage around him. The buildings around him that are still standing look like they have been slashed through by the Code Black swinging the scaffolding around. Some fallen beams have fallen on top of cars and lower story buildings. Everything in the nearby vicinity is destroyed, and the perpetrator is standing in the middle of it, laughing hysterically with a collection of pieces shielding him.

“By the looks of it, you need all the help you can get; I’m a manipulator as well,” Donghyuck calls back as the code black starts his rampage again. He eyes the agent who’s currently avoiding a girder further away, and Donghyuck can see his initial insistence waning. The agent knows himself the best after all, and his stamina has probably been draining fast from the non-stop flying and deflecting of projectiles.

“Mōtōrios!” A voice calls from below, seemingly having just arrived at the scene. “You can trust him for now, he’s strong.” Donghyuck quickly glances down to see Fȳren, out of breath.

“You know this guy?” The green-eyed agent who Donghyuck now knows is Mōtōrios calls back, launching a projectile back at the opponent.

“He’s one of my targets from my long-term mission,” Fȳren shouts back, looking up at Donghyuck. “Elektōr.” Donghyuck can’t help but sense Fȳren’s stare penetrating through his mask, and he would have squirmed if his feet weren't planted to his board.

“You're the one Môlos has been complaining about?” Mōtōrios looks as if he almost wants to laugh, but focuses on not getting hit by the joists instead.

So Lee had been complaining about him? That must be an achievement of itself— Donghyuck can’t even _imagine_ what a complaining Lee would look like. But if Fyren was here, Lee should also be nearby. Why isn’t he on the scene?

“Alright. Just this once because I know you've evaded Môlos for this long.” Donghyuck nods in response and goes right back to the thick of the fight. He can ask later when the situation is not so urgent.

Right then, another agent arrives on the scene, and Mōtōrios notices them right away. “Jay!”

Ah, there are too many agents around. Donghyuck is going to regret this when it’s all over.

Apparently, Injun shares the same sentiment, instantly telling him to get out. However, Donghyuck refuses. Fȳren can’t get up here, and as a fire wielder, the most he can do is melt the pillars the culprit is currently using as stilts. Donghyuck doesn’t know what ability Jay has, but he probably can’t fly either if he isn’t up here already. Mōtōrios is going to need all the help he can get.

“Where’s Môlos?” Jay calls out as Fȳren joins him below.

Donghyuck listens in to their conversation as he continues deflecting any incoming beams heading his way.

Mōtōrios frowns, face somber as he flies below a plank the target had aimed at him. “He got hit, landed really far away. I wanted to go help him but I had to keep dealing with this guy.”

“What?” Fȳren responds dumbfounded from below, probably shocked at the possibility of his friend currently with grievous injuries. Donghyuck mirrors his response, but the agents are too distracted amongst themselves to notice his reaction.

“Go look for him, he probably needs help,” Mōtōrios continues, not caring whether it was Jay or Fȳren who followed his instruction.

Donghyuck is definitely worried about Lee now, but he can’t leave Mōtōrios behind to look for the missing agent. He’ll just have to hope that Fȳren or Jay find him quickly, and _alive_.

Donghyuck continues avoiding beam after beam, gradually getting closer to the culprit. People usually use their ability in a similar pattern, especially when controlling multiple things which makes their movement easy to predict. However, this guy has an erratic behaviour that doesn’t seem to have any rhyme or reason. He’s laughing the entire time, aiming projectiles where he sees fit. His control over his power is also rapidly improving with every second, seeing how he’s starting to experiment with throwing more than one object at a time. They really need to end this soon, or the two of them won’t be enough.

Just then, he watches as one of the pillars under the control of the code black starts crumbling into indiscernible pieces. Before he has a chance to figure out who it is, he receives a message from Injun.

 _I got Jaemin to help you because you refuse to listen. I told him to play safe and he actually follows instructions, so he’s helping from afar,_ Donghyuck receives from his bracelet’s communicator.

He has a chance to quickly look left to see Jaemin approximately a football field away on one of the few buildings remaining, and he smiles as Jaemin gives him a thumbs up.

He tilts his head as he thinks. _Did Jaemin use Môlos’ ability?_ Maybe he wasn’t an object manipulator after all.

 _Alright, let’s get this over with._ Donghyuck smirks, focusing back on the task at hand.

  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


“—ôlos, Môlos!” Mark groans, waking up to a pounding headache. Where was he, and why was he sleeping? He was on a study date with Donghyuck, and then—

He jolts up, remembering what had happened, but instantly regrets his decision when his chest hurts. Ah, he probably broke a few ribs. He finally looks up to see Jay worriedly looking over him and Ten standing a little further off, probably on the lookout for possible threats coming their way.

“Môlos, we haven’t apprehended the target yet.” Jay updates him, and Mark nods, understanding that he needs to get back on the scene as soon as possible.

Mark examines himself for injuries: minor cuts all over that he can fix at a later time. Breathing hurts, so he’s more certain about the broken ribs. He can taste the metallic hint of blood, as well as it running down his face, so he has a head injury as well. He blinks hard, opening his eyes to a soft green. Soon, he looks as good as new, and Jay gives him a hand to make it easier for him to stand up from the rocky remains.

“Wanna give us a ride? You can drop me off near the scene, I’m on standby,” Ten turns back briefly, and Mark smiles, gesturing over to Jay and Ten. They instantly lift off the ground, and Mark does the same, and they all head back towards the smoke.

What Mark _doesn’t_ expect to see when he arrives is Elektōr holding the fort with Yuta. For people who were on different sides of the justice system, they worked surprisingly well together— Yuta in control of numerous steel beams, using it to repel any incoming steel chunks away. Elektōr had managed to get much closer to the target than Mark had, and was currently trying to incapacitate him. This is the first time Mark has seen Elektōr’s powers outside of hacking into computers and security, and now Mark is certain Elektōr’s ability doesn’t only cover the scope of cybersecurity.

The target was clearly much a higher priority than Elektōr, but as Mark has been trying to catch Elektōr for the past two months, he has to resist the urge to charge at him right then and there while he’s distracted with something else. He can see that Elektōr was helping a lot, and he won’t sabotage their current progress just for the sake of catching a petty criminal. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t bring up a scathing remark.

“Should I add not being able to mind your own business on your criminal profile now?” Mark shouts as he joins the fight, stopping a pillar from puncturing into a nearby building.

Yuta frowns at him, probably because Mark shouldn’t be this riled up when Elektōr hasn’t done anything to irk him just yet. Yuta hasn’t seen his last few interactions with Elektōr, but they had all been a similar tug-of-war between the two of them. It was always the same: Mark catching Elektōr in the act, trying to stop him (with colourful jabs at each other throughout), and then Mark (regrettably) failing to do so. It’s become an instinct, a habit of sorts, where seeing Elektōr instantly triggers his combativeness, and habits die hard.

“Lee, my dear friend,” Elektōr, who definitely doesn’t think of Mark as a friend, grins. “So you didn’t die from projectile launching.”

“I’m not going to die until I manage to get you behind bars!” Mark shouts back, putting in a little more force into shoving the joist back to the target. If he can redirect his anger into capturing the target, so be it.

“You told him your real name?” Yuta whisper-shouts in a panic.

Mark shakes his head as he redirects another beam away from a nearby building. “He randomly started spewing common last names and stuck with that one.”

“I’m just here to help,” Elektōr interrupts as he returns from his brief stunt elsewhere, surprisingly not continuing the teasing.

Mark, however, can’t seem to stop. “Here to help stop the target, or abet him?”

“Okay, this banter is fun and all, but can you at least use your brain and break apart the metal he’s controlling?” Elektōr replies with an annoyed tone. “He doesn’t have full control over his ability, if you split up the 20 chunks he has right now to about 100 tiny pieces, what he has right now will be useless.”

Mark wants to take a dig at Elektōr’s idea, but only grits his teeth. Elektōr’s suggestion was smart; the moment Mark broke all the beams, the many little useless pieces would cause much less damage than what he had right now. The target would have to drop all those pieces to pick up new ones, and that would be the perfect time to arrest him.

“Mōtōrios,” Mark calls, “you heard that?” Only agents are given the anti-DTH cuffs that can deactivate a person’s abilities. Mark can keep breaking all of the target’s possessions, but Yuta needs to run in and take over.

“Ready when you are,” Yuta replies with a grin.

Mark returns his focus back on the target, raising both arms at his general direction. Steel scaffolds start shattering like glass, one after the other. Yuta whizzes past his peripheral vision, and he notices the target’s confusion.

 _Gotcha,_ Mark thinks as Yuta finally flies within 100m of the target.

Mark has broken almost all the metal to smithereens, the remnants now all floating in the air, slowing to a halt. Then, as if in reverse, the fragments start speeding up, heading towards the target. _No, it’s towards Yuta,_ Mark realizes in a panic as the fragments start getting closer together, ready to merge.

Mark watches in horror as the shards he had created start catching up to Yuta, forming the outline of a large spear shape.

“Lee!” Elektōr calls and Mark looks around only to see him back on the ground, his board nowhere in sight.

“Don’t worry about your friend,” Elektōr says calmly, one arm up towards the target.

He looks back towards Yuta only to see Elektōr’s board catching up to the shards. Mark doesn’t know what Elektōr has planned, but he prays it works for Yuta’s sake. Almost immediately after this thought, a flash of blue emits from the board and the shards almost seem like they are absorbed.

 _No, it's more like being sucked in,_ Mark corrects himself. The momentum of the shards hitting the board knocks it hard enough for it to crash into a nearby building, now out of sight. Then Yuta punches the target in the face, knocking him out in one go.

The target starts his descent, tumbling down from his makeshift stilts. Yuta catches him quickly, cuffing him at the same time. The metal remains all fall to the ground, creating another large cloud of dust and smoke.

Everyone is silent, still holding their breath. _Is it over?_ Mark thinks. The dust settles, and Mark sees a triumphant Yuta standing over the unconscious target on a large unbroken piece of pavement.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

Donghyuck holds his breath, partially because inhaling large amounts of dust is definitely not medically recommended, and because he needs to confirm his next course of action. As the smoke clears, Donghyuck can see Yuta further down what used to be the Engineering district’s large pedestrian walkway with what looks like cuffs wrapped around the Code Black’s wrist.

 _Donghyuck, if you’re done, get the hell out of there_ —

Donghyuck only has half a second to recognize Lee erupting from the cloud of dust, foot about half a meter from his face. (Wow, isn’t that familiar.)

“What the—” Donghyuck can only say before his instincts kick in and he crosses his arms over his face. He groans with the impact, left shoulder protesting in pain. He collapses as a mix of pain and heat rush up his arm, and it gives away. Môlos is immediately on top of him, trying to grab a hold of his hands.

“Guys, we can get him now, hurry!” Môlos yells amidst their struggling, and Donghyuck can sense himself losing his patience. He helped them with the Code Black, and then Lee immediately tries to arrest him the first chance he gets? The electricity courses through the circuits on his suit (and through his veins metaphorically), accumulating to the spot on Donghyuck’s arm that is in contact with Môlos’ hand, and he _fires._

Môlos physically recoils, yelping in agony from the shock he just got. Donghyuck is probably glaring right now, but he lets himself. “I just saved your friend’s life and helped you arrest that guy, and this is how you repay me?” The rest of the agents are frozen, unable to keep up with the change of events.

“You are a criminal, and you need to face the consequences!” Lee is fuming, and he takes a step forward intending to charge again.

 _If this is how he wants to do it, so be it,_ Donghyuck thinks, ready to defend himself.

He’s expecting Môlos to pounce again, except the agent’s leg buckles and he falls forward. Donghyuck instinctively reaches forward to try to catch him, but Mōtōrios gets there before him.

Mōtōrios looks back at Donghyuck, arms wrapped around Môlos who’s currently clutching his head. “I think you really should go,” Mōtōrios says sternly, tone indicating that it wasn’t a suggestion.

Donghyuck is still frozen midstep, conflicted. Yeah, Lee just tried to arrest him, but he looked like he needed medical help and he could at least check if he was alright first. Môlos is trying to squirm out of Mōtōrios’ grasp, yelling about how they needed to arrest him. Almost immediately, Injun messages him.

_Donghyuck, I’m opening a portal in 3 seconds and if you don’t get in I’m not opening another one._

And with a stiff nod, Donghyuck turns back, leaving the chaos behind just as a portal opens for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Action is not my forte but it had to happen eventually. Oh well, I'm not too proud of it but it's okay.  
> Next chapter is definitely shorter than the last three!
> 
> As always, I'd love to here what the readers think! If you comment I will definitely reply!
> 
> Next chapter: Confession(s) ...?
> 
> [my twt](https://twitter.com/2amcoffeerants)


	4. A Secret Identity IV: Wong Xuxi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas Wong: Confused Engineering student. Currently: Having an internal meltdown (He’s a newb why is he the one who has to deal with this).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Haechan Day!!!!! The baby is 20 now, I can't believe it 😔
> 
> As always, I want to thank my beta Erika for looking over this :) It's not completely edited but I'll update it once it is!

### Federal Agency of Neural Competency: Active Agents (Classified)

Agent 815: Fȳren

Family lineage: n/a

Civilian Identity: Lucas Xuxi Wong

Ability: Fire Wielder (Enhancement/Embodiment type)

Level: 7.5

Additional information: Requires weekly prescription of DTH inhibitors due to his difficulties keeping calm, decreasing his proficiency in controlling his abilities.

  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

“I understand that these are very stressful times. We finally have answers to provide after the investigation regarding last week’s incident which we will be addressing today,” Johnny Seo speaks calmly in front of a crowd of media journalists and camera flashes. 

“As you may have heard, the convict was an office worker for NCT. He was a loyal, hardworking individual who held true to NCT’s motto, and contributed to the best of his abilities to better society. After he was arrested, he was transported to NCT’s private medical care ward in the Headquarters as he seemed unusually erratic. Unfortunately, he passed away before anything could be done. A medical exam found that he had an excessive amount of DTH neurons that did not activate until very recently, likely right before his rampage. With the sudden surge in active DTH neurons, his body was overstimulated and in non-scientific terms, imploded on itself. This is an unprecedented case of an unfortunate man who suffered from a biological mutation, resulting in the behaviour last week.”

Murmurs and gasps surround the stage, and Johnny lets the buzz die down before continuing. He smiles, gesturing back towards the agents behind him.

“These are the excellent agents who arrived on scene. I truly believe they conducted their assigned task to the best of their abilities, and with the quick evacuation of civilians, we have found very little loss of life. Unfortunately due to the nature of the deceased’s abilities, damage to property was unavoidable. As the largest sponsor of NCTU, we have donated 150 million to help restore the damage.”

The camera flashes continue, and Johnny gives them his signature smile. “There might be worries that this may happen again, but I assure you that this mutation almost never occurs in natural circumstances; an almost one in a billion occurrence. The chances of this occurring to the general public is very slim. However, we are studying this mutation more to understand what to do in case this does happen again. Thank you.”

Johnny walks off soon after, the camera flashes increasing in frequency and calls of the journalists asking more questions dominate as the rest of the agents follow Johnny into his transporter.

Johnny sits on one end, and Mark squeezes in on the other along with the rest of the agents involved in last week’s incident. He can see it in Johnny’s eyes— the anger simmering underneath his charming smile that he hasn’t yet dropped for the media. The rest of the agents are just as tense as Mark, no one daring to speak.

“Did you know how hard it was to explain away Elektōr’s abilities? Why didn’t you arrest him?” Johnny finally brings up the elephant in the room as the transporter leaves the flashes of cameras behind, and Mark almost wants to wince.

“Based on the post-mission interviews, Môlos was the only one who tried. And then when he failed, everyone else just let Elektōr walk into the portal? Why did you accept the help of a criminal in the first place?” Johnny adds, arms crossed.

“Sir, he saved my life.” Yuta replies, trying to sound composed. “I understand that he is a criminal, but I thought it was unfair that we were to capture him when he put himself at a disadvantage to help us arrest the target.”

“When Mark was out of commission half way, I was the only one fending off the target. If he hadn’t arrived to help, I would have ran out of stamina before the fight was over. Also, I am aware that he saved me from grievous injury at the end, which allowed me to safely arrest the target.” Yuta continues, rationalizing.

“So?” Johnny replies, the single word sharp enough to slice through the thick tension.

Lucas audibly gasps, and Mark sends him an imitation of the look that Jaehyun usually uses to get the trainees to shut up and behave.

“There is a high level vigilante roaming the city doing whatever he pleases and thinking he can get away with it. That is _unacceptable_. NCT needs to make an example out of him,” Johnny’s gaze traces over all the agents before returning to Yuta, eyes stern. “No matter what, he is a _criminal_. Are you going to let him get away with it every time he does something good after a crime?” 

Yuta looks Johnny in the eye, clearly still standing by his decision, but he doesn’t reply. After a tense few seconds, Johnny looks away to Jaehyun instead. “Also, why was Elektōr and Plectō not on our high priority list of targets early on? Why were two newly graduated agents assigned to them only recently?” 

Jaehyun is visibly not as good as Yuta at standing his ground, looking very uncomfortable under the scrutiny of Johnny. “We had very little information on Elektōr until recently. Records had only shown that he was an information embezzler that hacked into open points of connection to our database, so I thought he only had a cybertech ability. We did not realize he had an accomplice until after Môlos and Fȳren were assigned, and we didn’t know about the scope of their abilities until last week.”

Mark gulps, feeling incredibly small. “Joh— sir, I believe Fȳren and I have the capabilities to handle them. We had incorrectly narrowed their scope of abilities previously which was why we handled it differently.” 

After all, Mark had the ability to kill them on the spot if he wanted to. However, the ethics code of conduct did not allow anyone to use their abilities for murder unless they were given special approval to. Anyways, the point was that he hadn’t been utilizing his full capabilities, and now they looked incompetent.

“Now that we know more about Elektōr and Plectō’s abilities, Fȳren and I will adjust our responses,” Mark continues, trying to sound as confident as possible. Elektōr and Plectō were challenging to handle considering how their abilities were both likely ranked high, but Mark was stubborn, and he felt that it was his responsibility to finish up a case that was assigned to him.

With an indignant huff, Johnny looks back at Ten, who until now had been trying to stay out of the limelight of Johnny’s interrogation. “Ten.”

“Yes sir,” Ten immediately replies, sitting up a little taller.

“I want a new ability analysis on Elektōr and Plectō so we can get a proper estimation of their rank and ability. Include all the data on them up till last week’s case. If they strike while you’re still working on it, add that in too.”

“Will be my first priority, sir,” Ten replies just as quickly as before.

Mark hadn’t realized he’d put his head down, and he raises his head to look Johnny in the eye. _Is it over?_

Johnny lets out a sigh, but doesn’t continue. With the questioning finally complete, the rest of the ride remains a tense silence.

  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


After their dismissal from NCT’s headquarters, Mark and Lucas leisurely walk back to school. Since NCT is in close proximity to NCTU, they walk back in their casual clothes, intending to get ready for classes after the early morning media conference.

Mark still remembers the disappointment in Johnny’s eyes in that ride back to headquarters— he isn’t sure if Johnny’s disappointment or his own hurts more. He had seen Johnny rise up as the achievement-embellished field agent to the head of NCT; Johnny was the prime example of justice, of the standard, and Mark wanted to get there. Johnny’s cold look in the transporter will probably haunt him for days. The only good thing that had come out of this was that Johnny had approved of his decision to arrest Elektōr after the target was taken care of. Mark had learned from Johnny after all.

Impartial and unyielding justice— the law was the law. He was glad that Elektōr had some sort of good in him, but he had still committed many crimes.

Mark still feels regretful at not catching Elektōr though. He thought he had healed all his injuries after waking up, but he hadn’t thought about a possibility of getting a concussion from his head injury. Plus, he didn’t know how to fix a concussion anyway.

Being so close to catching Elektōr left a bitter taste in his mouth. If he had had the medical knowledge to fix a concussion, Elektōr would be in jail right now. As he winces internally at that memory, he vows privately to improve on his medical knowledge.

He’s just thinking about what medical books to borrow from the library when Lucas interrupts his thoughts.

“Hey, Mark,” Lucas says out of nowhere.

Mark turns to look at his friend to see the lost look on Lucas’ face. Mark has never seen his friend like that in all these years of training and rooming with him. Lucas was always upbeat and encouraging, doing what he believed was right. _What was causing him to look so unsure?_

“I,” Lucas pauses, seeming not able to find the words. Mark waits for his friend to continue only for him to shake his head.

“Never mind,” Lucas sighs, scratching his head. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

“That’s alright,” Mark replies. It seems that both of them had a lot on their minds. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t feel comfortable with it.”

Lucas can continue thinking about his unspoken problems while Mark continues with his— it’s a win-win situation.

Mark had asked to read the investigation report that NCT had conducted internally based on the testimony of him and the rest of the agents who were there. Yuta had mentioned a figure that matched the description of Plectō further away from the scene, and given the fact that Elektōr was there, it was the most likely. Yuta had said that Plectō was the one who broke some of the pillars before Mark had arrived, with the same powers as Mark. Mark had frowned at that, because his original hypothesis had been that Plectō was an electricity manipulator, but that would have to be rejected now.

And there was Elektōr, another enigma that Mark couldn’t figure out. What ability did he have? According to the report, it seemed that Elektōr had given all the pieces repelling properties. Ten and the other NCT crime analysts had guessed that he had done some sort of electromagnetic induction process to give all the steel magnetic properties; Elektōr likely assigned the same poles to all the steel chunks which was how Yuta could use his own beam to deflect the others. 

Analysts had also stated that the board Elektōr was riding was likely able to emit strong electromagnetic fields that allowed him to freely travel through the air. This was probably how Elektōr managed to deflect the plank right after Yuta had asked him who he was, by projecting a strong burst of the electromagnetic field under his board to repel the pole as well as how he attracted all the fragments chasing after Yuta in the end. Mark knows he has enough of the pieces, but he can’t seem to put them together. He sighs, shaking his head, discouraged at finding another dead end. He’ll have to discuss this with Yuta more.

Looking back, he had been too naive during that mission, and it had almost cost him his life. Code blacks were extremely dangerous, and it had been Mark’s first big case as an agent. And he had thrown himself head first, coming out of it with broken ribs and a head injury. He’s incredibly lucky that he knew the basics of healing, but if the beam had sent him elsewhere or at a different angle, there might’ve been nothing for him to heal.

 _I can’t believe I almost never got to tell Donghyuck about my feelings_ , Mark thinks, almost tripping over himself when he realizes what he had just considered. He almost squeaks out loud but stops himself in time.

Does he want to confess to Donghyuck? Yes, yes he does _,_ and after he had almost died, Mark doesn’t think he should wait anymore. There’s a fluttering sensation in his chest, like his excitement was manifesting in the form of butterflies. An idea arises in his head on how he should go about it, but he needs to start preparing now if he wants to confess today. He turns back to Lucas who still looks to be in deep thought.

“Hey, Lucas,” Mark shocks Lucas out of his daze, but doesn’t wait before he continues. “I realized I have a lot to do today, so I’m just going to run ahead, okay?”

“Okay, have fun,” Lucas replies, and if Mark notices Lucas’ obvious distraction, he pays it no mind. After all, he has a confession to arrange.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


Donghyuck stands right outside the door of Sicheng’s lab, holding his skateboard and a cup of coffee for Sicheng. It’s his usual early morning lab session with Sicheng, but it’s the first since classes and campus activities have resumed after the Code Black.

He had been worried all morning about what Sicheng was going to say today, but Mark had sent him a good morning text and asked if they could meet at the campus rose garden after his lectures which had temporarily distracted him from his worry. That sounded awfully like a date, so Donghyuck had dressed up a little nicer than usual when he had left the dorm.

But now the main obstacle of today was right in front of him. He knows Sicheng loves him dearly and only wants the best for him, but Donghyuck is well aware that he may have to answer some uncomfortable questions today.

Taking a deep breath, he whacks the side of his leg gently with his skateboard (His third after Dongyoung had grumbled and made another from scratch). _You can do this Lee Donghyuck,_ _if you can get away from trained NCT agents every week then you can do this!_

Donghyuck puffs his chest out slightly, checking to make sure Sicheng isn’t doing anything requiring precision before opening the door.

“Sicheng! I’m back!” Donghyuck smiles cheekily like a child who knew that they did something they shouldn’t have.

“Hey Donghyuck, you brought your skateboard like you promised,” Sicheng smiles back, propping his safety goggles on the top of his head as Donghyuck shuts the door behind him.

And that’s the first topic Donghyuck had feared but knew was coming.

“Well, I always bring it around with me,” Donghyuck laughs awkwardly. 

“How’s your shoulder by the way?” Sicheng frowns slightly, eying Donghyuck’s shoulder in concern as he leaves his workstation.

“It’s basically back to normal now, don’t worry!” Donghyuck rolls his shoulder to demonstrate. He hadn’t fully dislocated his shoulder so it had healed relatively quickly with rest. Mark on the other hand, had not been so lucky.

Donghyuck had returned to the dorm the night of the Code Black to see Mark nursing a concussion. Mark had apparently never made it to the lab before the campus-wide evacuation announcement. Instead, he ended up being shoved about by the hoards of students leaving the buildings, getting pushed over and hitting his head. So Mark had been stuck in the dorm on bed rest for the last week (doctor’s orders, Mark had told him), but in-person classes had been cancelled for the week so Donghyuck had plenty of free time to take care of the older.

With Donghyuck being by Mark’s side for most of the week, he never ended up going on his weekly information break in as Elektōr. Well, it was good for him and Môlos; time for Donghyuck to rest his shoulder and for Lee to recover from whatever injury was debilitating him after his attempted arrest that day.

“Can I see your skateboard up close?” Sicheng interrupts Donghyuck’s thoughts while Donghyuck continues standing stiffly by the door.

Donghyuck can’t make up a reasonable excuse in time, and numbly passes his skateboard to Sicheng. The skateboard is heavy, filled with hidden functions and wiring. 

Sicheng doesn’t expect how heavy it weighs, hands dropping slightly before adjusting. He carefully returns to his workstation and flips the skateboard over to show the underbelly, and Donghyuck carefully follows.

“So the wheels are retractable?” Sicheng asks as he pokes the axel holding the wheels.

“Yes,” Donghyuck replies, starting to regret letting Sicheng examine his board close up. With the skillful eye of an engineer inspecting his board, Donghyuck can’t lie, not when Sicheng probably has the knowledge to uncover the mechanisms of the board anyway.

Sicheng’s focus shifts to the deck itself, fingers tracing over the circuit tracks. When unlit, they’re barely noticeable, camouflaged into the gunmetal black of the board. Dongyoung had done a good job hiding the circuits, and no one would normally closely examine the backside of Donghyuck’s skateboard anyways. But now, the intricate designs were laid bare for Sicheng to see.

Sicheng’s fingers land on the center of the board where the opening for the flying component sits. He hums, then turns around to look at Donghyuck.

“This is an… electromagnetic field emitter?” Sicheng confirms with Donghyuck.

Donghyuck can only nod his head. Dongyoung is going to murder him if Sicheng figures out his trade secrets.

“From what I saw, it was very powerful. Powerful enough for you to use it to fly, I’m assuming?”

“Yeah, that’s the main purpose,” Donghyuck answers, internally shouting about how he’s revealing all his secrets.

Sicheng gives the skateboard one more look over before returning it to Donghyuck. “Did my brother send you to look out for me?” Sicheng suddenly asks, and Donghyuck can only frown in confusion.

Out of all the questions he was expecting, a topic about Sicheng’s brother was not one of them.

“Sorry, I don’t know who your brother is,” Donghyuck can only respond tentatively, unsure of where this topic came from.

“You don’t work for NCT? This board was so high tech that I thought…” Sicheng drifts off, leaving the last words unsaid even if they both knew what he meant.

And there was topic number two.

Now Donghyuck really is in a bind. There’s no logical reason for him to have gear like this if he isn’t a field agent, and Sicheng had seen him use his abilities. He needs to make sure Sicheng doesn’t tell anyone, or the authorities will end up hearing about this.

“I— can’t say,” Donghyuck replies carefully. He’s not lying, but his vague answer should cause Sicheng to confirm his own conclusions.

“Okay, I won’t ask anymore then,” Sicheng smiles in response, a hint of sadness in his voice.

“I’m sorry,” Donghyuck apologizes, finally putting the cup of coffee for Sicheng down on the desk. Because he can’t tell Sicheng he spends his nights breaking the law. Because he’s directing Sicheng towards a misconception so Donghyuck won’t get himself in trouble.

“Don’t be, I understand,” Sicheng replies softly, moving the cup of coffee away from his prototypes. He pushes his safety goggles back onto his nose where they have been sitting before Donghyuck's entry, and Donghyuck takes that as a hint to get to work. 

Donghyuck grabs the lab coat and safety goggles Sicheng has saved for him, taking a notepad so he can start recording results when Sicheng suddenly speaks again.

“Donghyuck, I know you said you don’t know my brother, but just in case… Could you let him know that I miss him?” Sicheng asks, still focusing on tinkering with the prototype on his bench desk.

The guilt Donghyuck feels weighs heavily on his chest, but he nods anyways even if Sicheng can’t see it. “Of course, Hyung.”

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


Even though Donghyuck left the lab more solemn than he had entered, Mark’s afternoon text about how excited he is to see Donghyuck in a few hours lifted his mood. His excitement has gradually risen throughout the day, and now he’s positively buzzing in his seat— he can’t wait for this last lecture to end so he could go.

With the first term almost at an end, Xuxi, who’s sitting next to him, also looks more on edge than usual, playing with his pen. He’s quieter than usual today, looking almost panicky when Donghyuck had waved hello in the beginning of class. The class was almost done anyways, so he can always quickly ask Xuxi if he was okay before heading off to the garden.

Donghyuck starts packing up the moment the professor finishes his lecture.

“Hey—”

“Hey—”

Donghyuck laughs at how both he and Xuxi spoke at the exact same time, and Xuxi gestures for Donghyuck to speak first.

“I just wanted to see if you were okay, you seemed awfully fidgety today,” Donghyuck asks as he pulls out his skateboard.

“About that, uhm, it’s sort of related to what I wanted to talk to you about,” Xuxi eyes his skateboard, but returns his gaze back to Donghyuck.

“Can we talk about it at a coffee shop on campus? This would be a better topic somewhere more private,” Xuxi looks at Donghyuck seriously, and Donghyuck can’t help but feel a little awkward.

“Uh, I’m actually supposed to meet someone at the gardens after this lecture…” Xuxi is being oddly somber, and Donghyuck doesn’t know what to make of it.

“Please, it’ll just take ten minutes and I’ll be done,” Xuxi almost pleads, and Donghyuck doesn’t know what to do. He’s going to be late meeting Mark if he doesn’t go now, but Donghyuck can tell how important this is from Xuxi’s tone.

“Okay, ten minutes,” Donghyuck replies, and Xuxi lets out a sigh of relief.

The coffee shop they go to is this quaint little thing, tables separated enough and music loud enough that it would be hard to hear other people’s conversation.

“By the way, you’re pretty cute, but I'm currently interested in someone else,” Donghyuck adds as a precaution after Xuxi offers to pay for his drink.

Xuxi visibly falters. “Okay, not gonna lie, you’re pretty cute too…” Then he stutters a little and his face turns slightly scarlet. “Wait, this isn’t what I’m here for,” Xuxi panics, almost spilling his hot chocolate as they head to an empty table in a secluded corner.

He eventually calms down and clears his throat, face serious. “I… I wanted to thank you for saving my brother from that metal beam last week,” Xuxi rests his hands on the table, eyes on Donghyuck.

Donghyuck freezes. Xuxi could only mean Sicheng, but no one should have seen that. Except… 

_There were people evacuating a little further away._

But Xuxi was Sicheng’s brother? There are too many questions and uncertainties, and Donghyuck is thrown off by this unexpected revelation.

“I recognized your board when it lit up,” Xuxi glances towards Donghyuck’s board, and Donghyuck feels almost out of breath, his chest beating at a terribly fast pace. “When you showed up at the scene, I convinced Mōtōrios to let you help him because I knew you’d be able to after seeing you save my brother,” Xuxi adds, and Donghyuck’s eyes widen in terror.

_Xuxi is Fȳren._

Donghyuck can’t be here, suddenly feeling awfully cornered. He reaches down to grab his board and run when Xuxi stops him. “Wait! This isn’t a trap, I didn’t tell anybody, the agency doesn’t know,” Xuxi whispers urgently. They’re in this awkward position, Donghyuck half out of his chair and Xuxi hand gripping his arm to stop him. The atmosphere makes it hard to breathe, Donghyuck doesn’t know whether he should trust him, but the desperation and sincerity in Xuxi’s eyes pleads him to stay, so he slowly returns to his seat, still tense and ready to run at a moment’s notice.

There’s an awkward silence afterwards while Xuxi looks like he’s trying to recollect his thoughts.

“Let me explain,” Xuxi finally begins, hands tense. “I joined the training program when I was 16, but I didn’t tell them I had family. I haven’t gotten in contact with Sicheng, and he doesn’t know I’m here.”

Donghyuck thinks about Sicheng, an ambitious engineering student who would do anything to get into NCT, and Xuxi, a talented fire wielder, Fȳren, who gave up contact with his family in order to train at NCT. Donghyuck thinks about the look in Sicheng’s eyes when he talked about his family, how his parents were gone, how he was alone. Donghyuck doesn’t know how to feel, a swirl of emotions inside him.

“I know you probably won’t believe me, but I really didn’t tell NCT and I don’t intend to.” Xuxi holds onto his cup of hot chocolate with both hands as he continues. “I’ve been thinking about it for the past week, and Donghyuck— from the few months I’ve gotten to know you at school, you’re a great guy. As Elektōr, you’ve only been going around for information, and you haven’t done anything like murder or of that sort. I think you have a reason, something you’re looking for. And now that I know who you are, I just want to know why.”

Xuxi, for someone who always seemed aloof and somewhat simple-minded was surprisingly observant, having hit a little too close to a wound that hasn’t fully healed. As much as Donghyuck wants to unleash his pent up frustrations and tell him, he can’t. Not when Xuxi is an agent working for NCT, not when Donghyuck was committing a federal offense on a weekly basis. But Xuxi was earnest, having revealed his own identity when he didn’t have to. He didn’t have to thank Donghyuck for saving Sicheng, but he did it anyway.

Donghyuck looks down at the coffee Xuxi had bought for him, and takes a breath. He can’t tell Xuxi everything, but he can lead him to the answers.

“Do you know that most people who are high ability users on the agency’s watch list are killed?” Donghyuck asks, voice soft.

Xuxi looks taken aback at the seemingly sudden change in topic, unsettled by the information.

“I watched the press conference this morning. Do you really think he died at the hospital of natural causes?”

Xuxi immediately jumps to NCT’s defense. “NCT wouldn’t hide information like that from us, Johnny has no reason to—”

“Have you ever seen any high level ability users you’ve captured come out alive? Do you see them at all after you hand them in?” Donghyuck continues.

Xuxi stills, processing all the information he’s been given.

“Think about that.” Donghyuck stands up, chair pushed back. He rests his bag back on his shoulder, grabbing his skateboard as he stands beside Xuxi.

“Thank you for not reporting my identity. I really owe you one.” Donghyuck turns around, pausing when he remembers Sicheng’s words today. “Sicheng really misses you, by the way.” Donghyuck can’t help but feel his own heart tear into two when he says those words out loud.

“Wait, wha—”

“He didn’t tell me that it was _you,_ but he told me about his brother, and how much he missed him.” Donghyuck turns around, back facing Xuxi to hide the bitterness.

Even though Sicheng wasn’t his real brother, Donghyuck had treated him like one. Seeing Xuxi, his real brother, avoiding him even though they both had the chance to meet hurt Donghyuck. Donghyuck knew exactly what it felt like to miss family, to miss your brother. Hell, he might even say he had even more experience than Sicheng and Xuxi. He can’t help but feel bitter towards Xuxi when he was refusing to see his brother when he was fortunate enough to.

He starts walking away when Xuxi grabs his arm again. Donghyuck turns around again, fully intending to leave, only for Xuxi to look at him with his round eyes showing what he thinks is worry.

“Donghyuck, please be careful about the people around you,” Xuxi’s warning sounds surprisingly sincere, and Donghyuck doesn’t know what to make of it.

Donghyuck shrugs, shaking his arm from Xuxi’s hold. “Like you?”

Xuxi doesn’t answer, and Donghyuck leaves without looking back.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


Donghyuck’s heart is pounding as he walks out of the coffee shop, the soft bell ringing as the door closes behind him.

 _Why did I say those things?_ Donghyuck pulls his hair lightly in frustration, a garbled noise escaping from his mouth. He leans his head onto the wall of the coffee shop, ignoring all the odd looks he’s getting from other students walking by. He seriously wants to dig himself into a hole and never come out. _I need Injun’s portal ability, but only the entrance,_ Donghyuck laments. And he thought today was going to be a good day too, he grumbles internally as he gets back on his skateboard towards the garden.

He’s still pouting and a nervous wreck when he arrives by the garden, running his hands through his hair to make sure it’s neater after his previous fiasco. Mark is sitting on a bench facing the garden, and Donghyuck rushes towards him.

Mark turns around, having noticed Donghyuck’s presence, and welcomes him with a bright smile.

“Mark!” Donghyuck gets off his skateboard and jogs the rest of the way. “Sorry, the lecture ran a little over time.” There’s no way Donghyuck is going to tell Mark how his secret identity just got exposed by an NCT agent that could very well arrest him if he wanted to.

The corner of Mark's eyes crinkle a little as he flashes his teeth, and Donghyuck can feel his nervousness melt away. “No worries, I just wanted to show you something.” Mark reaches for Donghyuck’s hand, and Donghyuck takes it without hesitation as Mark brings him over to the entrance of the gardens carrying his backpack on his shoulder.

The timing is perfect for a gorgeous sunset view. The steps leading down to the garden are laden with climbing roses, the sky tinted a blood red orange to match. The garden is surprisingly empty for the time where the garden looks the most beautiful, but Donghyuck doesn’t think too much of it as Mark brings him to the center of the garden where they stand below a stone arch with an open dome at the top.

Mark drops his school bag on the ground, kneeling down to open his bag. He still hasn’t let go of Donghyuck’s hand, and has trouble opening his bag with just one but eventually gets it. His hand disappears into the bag to reveal a blacked out jar that Donghyuck can sense is buzzing with energy. The sky is getting dark quickly, the orange shifting into a more violet hue as Mark attempts to unscrew the lid of the jar. Donghyuck crouches down as well to help him with his spare hand, and they eventually get it open.

With both of them crouching near the jar, Donghyuck raises his head to see Mark looking at him like he carried the stars in his eyes. Donghyuck feels inexplicably shy, but before he can say anything to ease the somewhat awkward atmosphere, tiny glowing specks float up into his view. Donghyuck lets out a soft gasp as he looks down to see the jar bursting with what seems like thousands of glitter particles.

“Wow,” Donghyuck stands up so he doesn’t have to arch his head as much at the view. The glowing particles look almost like fireflies, gently floating up into the sky as if to fill it with stars.

It’s mesmerizing, like a reverse star fall, and Donghyuck continues watching in awe until he remembers Mark beside him by the gentle graze of their shoulders.

“How… did you do this?” Donghyuck asks in wonder, still admiring the lights.

“Ah, it was a side project of mine, I wanted to show you first when I finished it. It’s a bunch of oxidation reactions that release photons because of their bioluminescent properties, I just encompassed the solution into tiny packets, and then added a light gas to make it float—”

Donghyuck can’t help but let out a small giggle at Mark’s excitement explaining the chemistry behind it, and Mark looks back at him quizzically before joining in with his own chuckle. They then return to a comfortable silence, Donghyuck standing beside Mark, arm to arm, Mark’s hand keeping him warm as they watch the remaining lights fly up into the sky.

“Hyuck-ah,” Mark suddenly says as the last of the glow disappears into the now dark sky, he reaches for Donghyuck’s other hand, forcing him to face Mark properly, both hands linked with Mark’s.

Donghyuck turns back to look at Mark in response to his name. _Is this what I think it is?_

“This passion project of mine— my first thought when I made it successfully was that I wanted to show you first,” Mark says, looking Donghyuck directly in the eye. Donghyuck can feel the heat spread across his face to the tips of his ears, a sharp contrast to the chilly evening now that the sun is no longer out.

“When I saw the glow from those particles, I thought about how you lit up my life after becoming my roommate. Donghyuck-ah— you figuratively, _literally_ , make my life brighter. You make me think of the world as a better place. From the first day I met you, you introduced me to so many different feelings I’ve never felt before,” Mark pauses, swallowing.

The pause continues long enough for Donghyuck to know it isn’t for dramatic effect. He sees Mark’s eyes slowly widen in panic, and Donghyuck presses his lips together, trying to stay serious for Mark’s sake. 

“Sorry I- I had a point to make, but I added too many ad libs and now I’m lost,” Mark is back to his flustered self again, and Donghyuck can no longer stop the smile from emerging from his face.

Mark looks like he’s internally berating himself right now, and Donghyuck tries to hold in his laughter.

“Was your point asking me to be your boyfriend?” Donghyuck asks, one eyebrow raised, still smiling.

“Y-yes,” Mark replies, looking thoroughly defeated.

Donghyuck’s heart is racing like he’s running a thousand miles right now. Instead, he tiptoes to get closer to Mark, close enough that he can feel Mark’s breath on his cheeks as warmth blooms vibrantly across his chest.

“And here’s my answer to you,” Donghyuck responds softly, closing the little distance they have between each other as he presses his lips onto Mark’s own.

Donghyuck starts slowly as Mark stills, not able to process what has happened yet. Donghyuck continues on, nipping playfully at Mark’s upper lip. Then he’s suddenly being pulled apart which he protests quietly. He’s just about to ask Mark what was wrong when he sees his eyes sparkling with joy with a wide smile that beams from ear to ear. 

_Oh, so this is what it feels like._

Mark softly caresses the back of his head, watching Donghyuck like he was his whole world. He gently pulls Donghyuck back in, kissing the moles on Donghyuck’s cheeks that are in the shape of the little dipper before returning to his lips. Mark is so, so gentle, kissing Donghyuck like he was a lone flower fluttering in the wind, and Donghyuck can’t do anything but reciprocate.

 _Donghyuck, please be careful about the people around you_ , Xuxi’s warning echoes in his head, but Donghyuck ignores it and leans even closer to the kiss.

At this very moment, Donghyuck feels invincible, field agents or NCT be damned.

As he runs his fingers through Mark’s hair like how he’d only ever dreamed of, lips pressed onto Mark’s, only one thought rises above his daze.

_I can’t trust everyone around me, but at least I have you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this chapter!!! I hope the reveal wasn't too out of nowhere/too obvious, I can't tell at this point which one it is lol. But it seems like everything is going so well with markhyuck, hm? Like what could go wrong?
> 
> Next chapter: the emotional hurt I promised :']
> 
> [my twt](https://twitter.com/2amcoffeerants)


	5. Moon Taeil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moon Taeil: Who Donghyuck has been looking for. Currently: MIA.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's less than 2 weeks since my last update but it's Taeil's birthday so I thought posting it now would be appropriate considering this chapter's content :]

### Dongyoung: Tech Arsenal

Dongyoung’s official job is an engineer at a toy factory, but he spends his free time developing tech for Donghyuck’s nightly missions. All of the tech and gadgets used by Donghyuck and Jaemin are designed and created from scratch by him as well. This is the current arsenal of tech that he has created for them.

1\. Suit

Donghyuck and Jaemin’s suits are both created by Dongyoung. They are completely covered in flexible circuits of various functions all throughout for Donghyuck and Jaemin to manipulate. This includes shockers, wave emitters, etc. As a manipulator, Donghyuck is not able to create currents/electromagnetic waves out of nothing, so the circuits allow him to have a more offensive stance in missions such as shoot beams, shock people by contact, etc. Donghyuck’s suit, unlike Jaemin’s, has a spot on his arm for his stamina gauge. As an aesthetic bonus (and because Dongyoung is bored and very extra), the circuits emit light when they are running. This causes an illusion of what looks to be light blue lines running across the suit when Donghyuck or Jaemin uses them, like a light show. 

2\. Board

Donghyuck uses it as a skateboard around campus, but the wheels can be retracted to allow Donghyuck to “fly”. The underside of the board has a large electromagnetic field emitter that is strong enough to allow him to stay above the ground, and the front side has an electromagnetic field strong enough that keeps his feet on the board. There are also circuits running across with similar function and aesthetic as his suit but of larger scale due to the material of the board allowing more magnitude in the power of the circuits. As the circuits are only on the underside and are very thin, they are almost unobservable when unused.

3\. Bracelet: Stamina gauge and Communication device

This is the bracelet Donghyuck wears at all times. It was gifted to him by his brother, and he asked Dongyoung to modify it for him. As Donghyuck has impeccable control over his ability, he is able to have gadgets and circuits running at all times without consciously thinking about it. The stamina gauge takes advantage of this skill— Dongyoung created a monitor that keeps track of the signal emitting from the gauge. If the signal starts weakening and eventually stops, this indicates that Donghyuck is not running the circuit, likely due to his ability no longer working. The second function of the bracelet is the communication device. As Donghyuck can detect electricity impulses, Injun messages him from his side (by typing) to his bracelet, where the communication circuit returns the message in morse. Donghyuck detects the electronic pulses created to “read” the message. To reply, he uses his ability to turn on the circuit and emit signals by morse which is automatically converted to text by a program designed by Injun and Dongyoung.

  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


Mark is currently running his fingers through Donghyuck’s hair where they’re both comfortably lying on the sofa, the murmurs of the movie they had originally been watching audible in the background. Their dorm room is dark, the only light coming from the movie and the occasional glimpses of moonlight peeking through the rain storm as his other arm hugs Donghyuck close by the waist, their legs tangled together. The younger had fallen asleep about halfway through the movie, and Mark didn't have the heart to wake him up.

With the credits of the movie rolling, Mark watches the younger’s face where it’s buried in his chest. He had gotten to know so many more sides of Donghyuck these past months, and he adored all of them. He felt his heart squeeze a little at the thought that only he got to see Donghyuck like this in their dorm— lashes fluttering, his button nose slightly peeking out from his loosely curled hand on Mark’s chest. 

It wasn’t to say that everything was smooth sailing, because it wasn’t. Mark and Donghyuck had a lot of different opinions and had very different personalities in general, but their disagreements usually were only about whether they wanted Korean food or burgers for dinner. And if it was anything else, those usually ended up becoming friendly debates and nothing more.

But tonight, right before watching the movie, Donghyuck and Mark had their first real argument. He still remembers how they were laying on the couch like they were now, cuddling and talking about everything and anything when Donghyuck had suddenly brought it up.

“Mark, can I ask you something?”

“Anything, Hyuck.”

“I was just wondering what Yuta’s lab was like. You said he’s pretty high level, right?” Donghyuck, who had been lying on Mark’s chest at the time, started drawing circles on Mark’s palm. Mark had then decided to cup his cheeks so he could admire Donghyuck’s little moles speckled over his face. 

“Ah, his lab is really nice. Glassware is always expensive, but he has really high quality round bottom flasks and a ton of the frosted tip ones. His pipettes are really nice too,” Mark had replied while Donghyuck puffed out his cheeks and swatted his hands away, returning to look at anything but Mark. “Why did you ask?”

“Ah, it’s just... My mentor’s lab is very old and outdated. And then my friend brought me to see his mentor’s lab, and it was just like what you said about your mentor’s lab, it was very... nice,” The tone in Donghyuck’s voice made it sound like it was anything but, but Mark focused on how his boyfriend was drawing circles on his hand instead. “I just thought it was very unfair that he got the half functioning lab because of his low level.”

It took awhile for Mark to understand what Donghyuck had told him. NCTU had the backing of the government, and Johnny spent billions sponsoring the university every year so students could have the best quality education possible. If anything was outdated, it must’ve been because the engineering faculty hadn’t been managing their funds properly.

“I don’t think his level has anything to do with it, Hyuck. Has your mentor brought this up to the lab operations head?” Mark asked.

Donghyuck had turned towards him, a frown on his face. “It’s obviously because of his level, Mark. He works so hard and is equally as talented as the other students who are in the regular section of the building. He already asked, and they just brushed him off. That sounds exactly like the typical upper level not caring about the lower level scenario.”

Mark didn’t understand why Donghyuck had immediately assumed that the engineering faculty had a vendetta against lower levels or his mentor. What did he mean upper levels were brushing off lower levels?

“You know, Mark, like how people start sucking up to me whenever people realize I’m a 7, or how they stop talking to my mentor once they realize he’s a 0. Those are just some of the things I’ve noticed. Haven’t you?” Donghyuck answered after Mark voiced his question out loud.

Mark stilled. Having lived among NCT agents and trainees his whole life, he never really had many interactions with people whose level was below a 6.5. He probably was missing some of the public interactions Donghyuck was insinuating were occurring on a regular basis, but he had never heard of anything of that sort before and wasn’t sure what the typical response should be. 

“Oh, right, I know what you mean,” Mark had laughed it off, hoping it didn’t seem unnatural. “I don’t think that’s a major concern yet, considering how NCT hasn’t really done anything about it,” Mark continues.

“Mark, it’s been ingrained in everyone, so much so that they think it’s normal. I see it all the time, both in the minor everyday things and the big things like with Sicheng’s lab. Come on, Mark, for someone so inquisitive I didn’t think you’d just blindly trust the authorities when you can see the blatant discrimination in person.”

Mark was appalled at Donghyuck’s reaction. He had never realized how strongly Donghyuck felt about this before. If it was a serious issue, Johnny would have mentioned it, and it would have been brought up during training or in the law to protect the discriminated population. It wasn’t because Mark wasn’t _inquisitive_ or whatever Donghyuck wanted to call him, it was because he had full faith in NCT and that they were doing the best for everyone in the country.

“Well, if you think it’s such a problem, you can go join NCT and bring this up as an issue,” Mark pointed out, not able to stop the accusatory tone in his voice. “ _You’re_ the one who’s 6.5 and above after all.”

Mark had considered bringing this topic up to Donghyuck before, albeit not in an argument against him. Donghyuck would never be able to know his real job as an agent if he himself wasn’t part of NCT’s agent program, and Mark could see Donghyuck’s potential as an excellent agent. However, using it in an accusatory way had been _anything_ but Mark’s intentions until now.

“One person alone in the system won’t be able to change anything if all the leaders and figureheads don’t care,” Donghyuck replied, annoyance seeping in his tone. “If I joined, I’d just be another pawn following their orders even if I didn’t think they were in the right.”

“Donghyuck, I think you’re misunderstanding something.” Mark had probably taken too much offense in this as a regular citizen, but the agent in him couldn’t help it. “NCT has progressed dramatically these last few years under Johnny’s leadership. I assure you, Johnny is extremely fair and only wants the best for the country. If Johnny thought it was a problem, they would be dealing with it right now.”

Donghyuck had then gotten up from Mark’s chest until he was eye to eye with Mark. “Mark, you don’t even know Mr. Seo. I think your admiration for him is clouding your views of what you know and don’t know.”

Mark had looked into Donghyuck’s eyes, the normal sparkles in them holding more fire than usual. He sighed. He couldn’t tell Donghyuck that he _did_ know Johnny, that he himself worked for NCT and saw all the hard work put in by his friends and seniors to keep the country safe.

“You’re right, Hyuck. I’m sorry.” He wasn’t, but there was nothing more he could say without revealing his identity.

Donghyuck had continued to stare at him, eyebrows still furrowed and lips pouting slightly. Mark held his gaze, refusing to back down and Donghyuck eventually faltered, sighing.

“I’m sorry too.” Donghyuck had closed the distance between them to give him a quick kiss on the lips. “Let’s not be mad at each other, okay?” Donghyuck then slowly returned to laying his head on Mark’s chest, and Mark hummed in agreement.

“What movie do you want to watch?” Donghyuck’s tone clearly indicated that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore, and Mark wordlessly agreed as they resumed their decision making on which movie to watch.

Mark was conflicted. He had never seen Donghyuck this irked about anything, and having it be a topic close to Mark’s heart really bothered him. He knows how much Donghyuck cares about his mentor, and it was understandable that Donghyuck felt somewhat protective of his mentor who was unfortunately not gifted with an ability. But his anger was being misdirected to NCT, which Mark did not appreciate. Mark hopes this was just a one time thing. If Donghyuck continues to blame NCT for things that aren’t their fault, Mark might risk revealing himself in the heat of the moment or saying something he’d regret. 

But speaking of anger, his watch is going off right now when he's cuddling with Hyuck, _again_. Mark would have groaned if Donghyuck wasn’t sleeping.

 _Why am I always called in at the worst times?_ Mark quickly turns off the alert for fear of waking Donghyuck as he carefully slips off the sofa and from underneath the younger. He doesn’t need Donghyuck to wake up and realize he’s out in the middle of the night, even if he can just blame Yuta for it as usual. Not sure how believable “Yuta called me into the lab at 1am” will be though.

 _He looks so cute like this,_ Mark thinks as he gathers Donghyuck into his arms, carrying him gently to bed. Donghyuck was always bright and full of smiles when he was awake, but his peaceful and serene features when sleeping made Mark equally as enamoured.

After gently pulling up the duvet over Donghyuck, Mark leans down and kisses him on the forehead as a goodnight.

Right, he needs to go on his mission. He notices Lucas outside his window just as Mark walks back through the living room towards his bedroom to grab his gear.

“Mark,” Lucas knocks on his window gently as his muffled voice is dulled down by the storm outside. He nods, grabbing his suit as his eyes begin to glow a soft green. The window handle unlocks and opens, amplifying the thunder outside. As he squeezes out, he hopes the mission will be quick tonight.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


Donghyuck opens his eyes as soon as he hears the bedroom door shut. The buzzing on Mark’s watch had woken him up, but he hadn’t fully become aware of his surroundings until Mark had carried him. It was so hard not to be flustered when Mark was being so sweet, carrying him back to his bedroom and kissing him goodnight. He squirms, flustered at the thought, as he pulls up the duvet to cover his reddening cheeks from no one in particular.

He frowns as he remembers the argument they had a few hours ago. Should Donghyuck be petty? No, he shouldn’t, even though he was miffed that Mark was in denial about something that was right in front of them. Donghyuck had thought that Mark was better than that, but maybe Donghyuck had been too naive— He thought that kind hearted, thoughtful Mark who cared so much about the country would think this was an issue.

Considering how unnatural Mark’s response had been (based on his look of genuine shock for a second before he had schooled a more neutral expression), Mark’s boarding school had probably been full of privileged upper level students that didn’t experience the poor treatment that occurred when there was a large discrepancy between levels. There was always passive aggressive side eying between people whose differences in rank was only by one or two numbers, but that was nothing in comparison to the drastic dissimilarities in treatment between the upper levels and lower levels (and especially the ability-less). 

Either way, Donghyuck has all the time in the world to educate Mark on the inequality lower levels faced on a daily basis.

He’s confused though— It’s 1 in the morning, so what was so urgent that Mark couldn’t stay on the couch with him? He rests his feet gently onto the floor when he hears a muffled voice outside, and something shutting. Did Mark leave the dorm?

He yawns, still not fully awake. He’s too tired to care about where Mark is going though, and he pulls his blankets back up with full intentions to go back to sleep when he receives an alert from his holoscreen. He sighs, sitting up properly once again to check the text.

Injun: Are you awake?

Donghyuck: Now I am :|

Soon after Donghyuck replies, he receives a message from his bracelet instead.

_There’s another Code Black._

Donghyuck sighs again, shaking his head. One Code Black was already rare, but two within 60 days of each other was unprecedented. Donghyuck is sleepy though, and after almost being arrested for his goodwill last time, he isn’t sure he wants to try again.

_It’s 1am, I’ll let the agents deal with it, hopefully they learned from last time._

Plus, now that he’s reached some sort of amicable agreement with Xuxi, he can always ask him about it later. Donghyuck had been pleasantly surprised one Wednesday night when he caught Xuxi trying to discreetly leave him a letter. Donghyuck wasn’t eager to talk again after the tense conclusion to their coffee shop discussion, but Xuxi was being too obvious outside his window so he had invited him in.

After a very awkward silence, Xuxi had quickly presented him with a letter that allegedly explained everything and then fled. And in it, were details of what Xuxi had found: a USB containing the information he had swiped from NCT headquarters and a plea to watch out for his brother if anything happened to him. And so a deal was made: Xuxi would provide information from NCT every Wednesday night, and Donghyuck would keep an eye out for Sicheng. Donghyuck has no qualms about that; he would never be able to get that kind of information himself, and Sicheng was both a brother and friend to him. 

The first USB he’d received included information that had confirmed his suspicions: the culprit of the Code Black at NCTU was indeed killed after being captured. What he hadn’t expected was that it was a part of a government experiment to study ability manipulations, and he _certainly_ hadn’t expected the target to have been a lower level. The target hadn’t been a steel manipulator at all until the Code Black incident. Donghyuck doesn’t know the mechanics behind gaining new abilities let alone how it was possible, but it clearly worked, just not in the way NCT had probably wanted.

The night that Donghyuck had read the information on the monitor at their hidden base, Jaemin and Injun had been having a field day from what they had just uncovered while Dongyoung had panicked, chanting a mantra about how they were definitely going to be arrested now that they had such confidential information. But this was the first reasonable lead Donghyuck had received in _years_ , and he wasn’t going to stop now. With a second Code Black so soon after the first, Donghyuck could imagine that this was another of these failed ability gains.

Donghyuck sighs for the third time tonight, shaking his head as he thinks about Lee and Xuxi currently out unknowingly fixing their own organization’s problems. Lee seemed to truly believe in NCT, and Donghyuck wonders if he’d feel the same way if he knew the reasons behind these Code Blacks, if he knew about the other questionable things NCT did behind the agent’s back.

_Donghyuck, normally I wouldn’t want you to go either, not after last time, but I thought you’d want to know about this one._

_Hm? What do you mean?_

_Hyuck_ — _this guy is probably an Electromagnetic manipulator._

Donghyuck freezes, blood running cold as a flash of thunder briefly lights up his room. No, it couldn't be. It's been too many years— right? Electromagnetic manipulation wasn’t an uncommon ability. But a user powerful enough to cause Code Black levels of destruction was rare.

No matter how much Donghyuck tries not to bring his hopes up, he just can’t ignore this sliver of possibility. He knew it was unlikely, but he stands without hesitation anyways, slipping into his suit and donning his gear as Injun opens a portal for him.

His brother could be _alive_.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


Donghyuck doesn’t even need Dongyoung’s electromagnetic field detector to locate the Code Black; he could sense the immense amount of electrical energy even just keeping his ability idle. Jaemin had followed him, something about how Donghyuck clearly wasn’t in the right mind, but Donghyuck had just nodded and let him.

The scene of the Code Black is near the more rural edges of Seoul, where a large power plant in charge of the majority of Seoul’s electricity resides. Donghyuck can easily find the target, visible sparks of electricity surrounding them and ready to strike at a moments’ notice.

When he finally arrives with Jaemin, rain quickly flattening his hair and cold seeping into his suit, he immediately recognizes Lee trying to fly closer to the target. Donghyuck has a hard time cataloguing the target’s features amidst the darkness and the rain, but the occasional flashes of thunder from the terrible weather and electricity strikes from the target show a manic grin that would only be found on a monster. His body proportions are completely off, almost like he had consumed an excessive amount of steroids that his body didn’t become resistant to. He’s hunched over, hands like claws as electricity sparks fly all around him.

But despite all the non-human features, Donghyuck can confidently say that he has never seen that “person” before. _It’s not my brother._ Donghyuck breathes a little easier, but he still can’t let his guard down.

“I’ll deal with Môlos, go ask Fȳren what’s going on,” Jaemin directs gently, patting him on the back before flying up to Môlos who’s currently trying to deflect an electrical beam heading his way.

Donghyuck turns towards Xuxi who has a new modified suit, two discs on both palms that improve his aim while he’s ejecting flames from his hand. Donghyuck doesn’t care about that though, immediately asking the agent about the Code Black as soon as Xuxi is within talking distance.

“I recognize this guy from the files,” Xuxi has to shout over the sounds of the thunderstorm and battle while aiming bursts of flames towards the target, “He was a high ranking NCT official with an ability transfer planned, or that was what I read last week.”

Donghyuck is missing some crucial information to figure out the whole puzzle, and this is the perfect time to ask. “I don’t understand where they get these new abilities from,” Donghyuck asks tentatively as he neutralizes an electrical beam headed towards them.

“I don’t know the exact details either, but I’m assuming they had some new breakthrough on ability transfers since they’re testing it right now,” Xuxi yells back but is clearly distracted by the main task at hand. “It doesn’t have a good survival rate— none of the donors have survived so far and only a handful of the recipients had successful transfers, so the donors have all been prisoners.”

Donghyuck can hear his heart beating louder, louder than the sound of battle, louder than the pouring rain and thunder, but he waits for Xuxi to explain further.

“I remember this person’s donor clearly, he’d been in the government labs for _years_ , people don’t usually last that long,” Xuxi adds solemnly.

“Originally a highly public electromagnetic manipulator who was incarcerated for being a safety concern after refusing to abide by the law, he was put in a lab for many years until probably very recently when his ability got transferred to this guy,” Xuxi gestures to the Code Black with a nod of his head. “It must’ve happened between the last time I went looking for data last week and today.”

Cold sweat (or rain, maybe) runs down Donghyuck’s neck, his breaths too harsh. Xuxi’s reply takes over his body like the freezing rain pelting his back, but he needs to know. He needs finality. So he asks.

“Do you remember his name?” Donghyuck manages to choke out as he tries to hide the tremor in his hands. 

“Moon Taeil,” Xuxi replies without hesitation, and Donghyuck’s world shatters into oblivion.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


An almost fifteen year old Donghyuck peeks his head out from his bedroom, wondering if those people dressed in fancy suits and dress shoes from NCT have left yet. He receives a silent notification on his holoscreen at that exact moment— It's probably Taeil-hyung. It's convenient to have a brother who has such versatile abilities, and Donghyuck always feels like a cool spy when his brother sends him a text with his abilities.

_"Not yet, Donghyuck. Give me 2 more minutes."_

Donghyuck sighs and flops back on his bed. Taeil made sure Donghyuck was out of sight when people from NCT came, but he could always hear from the tone of his brother's voice that they were bothering him. Taeil was always relaxed and nothing ever fazed him, but the only time he'd hear the strain in his brother’s voice was when those suited men came to visit.

Those men used to come infrequently, but in the past half a year they started coming at least once a month. They brought Taeil away for a few days sometimes (Taeil had told him that he was helping out with missions secretly) which had freaked Donghyuck out when he was younger the first time, thinking he was never going to see his brother again.

Moon Taeil, his cool older brother. One of the most powerful electromagnetic manipulators publicly known in Korea. Donghyuck doesn't know how Taeil resists showing off his ability all the time, how he prefers just running his little shop underneath their small flat. But Taeil taught him to be humble regardless of how powerful one was. To treat people with respect no matter what level they were. It took awhile for Donghyuck to understand it when everyone else acted otherwise, but now Donghyuck is immensely thankful for what Taeil has taught him.

"Taeil-hyung! What did they want this time?” Donghyuck sprints eagerly towards the dinner table the moment he hears the click of the door.

"Ah, Hyuckie, don't worry about it. They've been asking me to officially work for them since opening a shop is considered a ‘low level job for level 3s and below and therefore against the policies of the Worker’s Act,’" Taeil puts in air quotes as he mimics one of the officer's gruff voices, "but I refuse. I've been helping them here and there in the past few years, I don't understand why that set up isn't working now."

“Hyung, you’re too cool!” Donghyuck happily munches on the cereal he had poured himself for breakfast.

Taeil suddenly claps his hands, smiling at Donghyuck. "Anyways, we shouldn't be thinking about them, we should be thinking about your birthday!"

Donghyuck beamed at that. He was turning 15 today, and he finally could ask Taeil for his birthday gift!

“For my birthday, can you show me how you do that special move where you shoot out a large electric beam like a big stun gun?” Donghyuck immediately asks, having completely forgotten about the previous annoyance.

Taeil laughs, ruffling his hair. “I don’t know Hyuckie, can you keep a secret?”

Donghyuck immediately pouts the way he knows Taeil goes weak for. “Yeah I can, plus you’re one of the strongest electromagnetic manipulators I know so I can’t ask anyone else.” He then remembers the threatening glares of the officers who had visited today, and hesitates. “Or, if you’ll get in trouble for that, you can teach me how you hacked into the government database and changed your last name to Moon,” Donghyuck adds after some thinking.

Taeil pauses and laughs even harder this time, and Donghyuck puffs out his cheeks. Taeil wasn’t taking him seriously!

“Donghyuck-ah, I only did that to play with the government and make it a little harder for them to find me. That only gave me a good three month break from all their pestering though. There’s also the side bonus that we’re no longer related on the official records, so they won’t bother you about your abilities and what not unless you accidentally reveal them.”

“I want to change my name to something cool too!” Donghyuck swirls his spoon a little too aggressively, spilling some milk from the bowl.

“I’ll do that for your 16th birthday, how does that sound?” Taeil asks as he stands up and puts his dishes away, slipping on his casual going-out slippers.

“Deal,” Donghyuck grins, waving his spoon like a baton, pointing it towards Taeil. 

“But hyung, where are you going now?” Donghyuck stands up from the small dining table as well, rushing to meet Taeil at the door. 

“To get you a birthday cake while I also do some grocery shopping,” Taeil grabs his wallet from the tiny cupboard besides the door.

“I want to go too!”

“Hyuck, I want it to be a surprise. I know what flavors you like, so let me keep the design a secret yeah?” Taeil opens the door, his casual shirt and shorts attire drifting along with the summer breeze that enters with the open door.

“Fine, I’ll just play some games then,” Donghyuck sulks, pouting his lips as he returns back to his room and sits back on his chair.

ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


Donghyuck has finished his fifth game of Overwatch when he notices a large commotion outside.

He can’t help but look out the window to see what the fuss is about. After all, it was rare for any sort of ruckus to ever occur— high rankers almost never caused any fuss. He’s just about to reach his window when he sees an agent flying right outside. He stills, afraid he might have caught the agent’s attention, but the agent’s back is to the window and he’s busy talking into his communication device. Donghyuck has never been this close to an agent before, and the curiosity about what agents look like overwhelms him. He scoots closer to the window, trying to listen in on their conversation when he recognizes the agent’s voice.

 _It’s one of the guys who comes wearing a suit,_ Donghyuck realizes when the image of the dressed up agent outside their door comes back to mind. His heart beats fast, exhilarated. He’d known a secret agent all along?

“— Request back up, the three of us aren’t enough,” Donghyuck manages to overhear even through the glass pane. So there _was_ a fight going on, but against who? He presses his hand against his chest, certain the agent can hear the beating of his heart from how nervous he is. He has a terrible gut feeling, a possibility that he doesn’t want to name, so he tiptoes slowly away from the window and rushes out the door.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


Donghyuck doesn’t think he’s ever seen the streets of Seoul in such pandemonium. There’s a large crowd of people, which Donghyuck thinks is silly considering how there’s obviously a fight going on, so he has to shoulder his way through the people in order to reach the front. He eventually gets there, almost falling over from how hard he has to push, when he sees his brother fighting for his life against two agents. 

Taeil has a slight upper hand as an electromagnetic manipulator against what looks to be an ice wielder and a wind manipulator. Taeil manages to pin the wind manipulator down, planning to knock him unconscious when the agent Donghyuck had seen by his window flies back, dropping a hard kick on Taeil’s face, knocking him away.

“Please stay far away for your own safety,” one of the agents calls out to everyone in the vicinity while attempting to knock Taeil down. “He is now deemed a threat to public safety and a traitor to the country, and we are currently attempting to arrest him.”

Donghyuck immediately feels fire spread through his veins, his hands closed tight enough that he might be drawing blood, nails digging into his skin. What had Taeil done to be branded a traitor? All he's done is live his life how he wants to. He doesn't steal, doesn't hurt other people, he even helps NCT on missions— what was this sudden betrayal for?

Donghyuck’s fingers start tingling, his hair starting to rise from the static energy and his eyes probably starting to glow blue when he hears an alert from his holoscreen with a sound unique to only messages sent by Taeil. He looks at Taeil, frantic. Taeil can only give him a quick glance before he has to focus on not getting hurt, so Donghyuck quickly opens the message.

_“Donghyuck— Don't. No matter what happens here. I'll come back, okay? Promise.”_

Tears are brimming in Donghyuck’s eyes. How can he sit back and watch as his brother is being branded a traitor and a threat to society, being attacked by the agents of the government who were supposed to _protect_ them?

But Donghyuck listens to his brother, watching with the crowd as Taeil fights off the three agents. Because his brother promised. That no matter what, he'd come back. So he watches as his brother gets pummeled to the ground after backup arrives, being knocked unconscious. He watches as Taeil is cuffed with the special DTH-inhibitor cuffs authorized only for NCT's use. Watches as his brother is dragged into a black NCT van and driven away.

Taeil doesn't come back.

There’s no familiar click of the door after Donghyuck returns to their house. Donghyuck waits, refusing to sleep or move from the dining table facing the door in case he misses his brother’s return. Donghyuck just stares at the door handle as the next week goes by like a haze.

Occasional thoughts manage to seep through the fog in his mind. _Could he have saved his brother? Why didn't he save his brother?_ His tears have long since dried up, and now he's just sitting here like a lifeless doll waiting for his pain to consume him.

He doesn't know how many days pass, but he eventually manages to force himself to get off the couch to drink some water. He doesn't want Taeil to return only to a skeleton after all. He grabs his cup and starts filling it with water from the fridge's water dispenser when his vision starts to blur. _Ah, it's because I haven't eaten anything,_ Donghyuck thinks as the weight of the cup slips off his fingers and his knees hit the floor.

Donghyuck eventually wakes up to the cold damp sensation of his clothes being soaked in water. He slowly gets up, observing his surroundings. The cup is shattered— it's a miracle he didn't get cut. He starts to pick up the glass pieces, one at a time. He needs to keep the house clean for Taeil's return. He can't have his brother return to Donghyuck’s mess.

He rises slowly and picks the big pieces up first, one at a time. He turns around and reaches for the last big piece when he winces, turning his finger around to see blood flowing from the cut. He just crouches there watching his finger, when his vision starts to blur with tears, a sob leaving his mouth sounding more like a croak from how parched his throat is.

 _Taeil— you promised me you'd come back— where are you?_ Donghyuck cries as he holds his hands close to his chest.

He cries and he cries, head down, struggling to breath. He doesn't know when he'll see his brother again, if he has to wait for a few more days, a few more weeks...

...A few more years, and the tiny sliver of hope that Taeil was alive is crushed in a matter of minutes.

Donghyuck can’t breathe, and the colour of everything is wrong like he’s watching a movie in third person through a screen. It’s like a hazy dream, Xuxi’s face flickering back and forth as the only constant.

Donghyuck had prayed it was anyone’s name but that. But it _was._ It was his brother who he had finally started to accept was likely dead, the brother he’d seen get bludgeoned by several agents before being dragged off the street outside their house three years ago. Taeil, who was still alive last week, who Donghyuck _could have saved,_ dead, gone.

Donghyuck remembers Taeil, with his bright laughter and smile that Donghyuck shares. How Taeil could cast lightning down from the sky to leave the land scorched except for a perfect circle of untouched ground around him to protect the small sunflower at his feet. How Taeil would give Donghyuck a dose of static shock just for the fun of it. How he would draw beautiful mandala-like scriptures using light in the palm of his hand, or cascade his own mini aurora borealis in their backyard in the middle of the night when Donghyuck was upset.

Taeil was the reason for who he is today— he taught Donghyuck to see beyond whatever level or ability someone claimed to have. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. Everyone, no matter the number attached to their ID, is human, and deserves equal respect.

Everything that Donghyuck is, everything that Donghyuck aspires to be, is a reflection of his older brother. Everything that reminds him of Taeil— both the good and the bad— follows him wherever he goes.

But now all Donghyuck can see is the culprit exploiting Taeil’s power, holding his brother’s very soul and being, casting it away in the form of vicious attacks. The power line nearby sparks and catches on fire, collapsing onto the pavement with a loud buzz as the target continues on without a care. 

NCT took away Taeil, his potential, his _life_ , and reduced him, corrupted it to give birth to this monster who has regressed Taeil’s power to clumsy, haphazard strikes.

And for what?

Donghyuck only then notices the tears trickling down his face.

Nothing physical is stopping Donghyuck from breathing, but he can’t anyways, and he stumbles forwards, unsteady on his feet.

He can hear concern in Xuxi’s voice, but he can’t discern the words. His chest _hurts_ , his insides being wrenched open for the world to see. The only instinct that rises above the cacophony in his mind is the primal urge to _run,_ _to get away from here._ He doesn’t want to be here to witness a stranger abusing his brother’s abilities, to see the last remnant of his brother snuffed out like any other criminal. 

His senses are overloading, yet everything is fuzzy and unclear. He thinks he’s gasping for air, he’s _shaking_ , _god_ he doesn’t know, and then a firm arm hooks around him with a familiar scent of coffee. He knows he’s a mess, he’s being too vulnerable, but the waterfall of emotions from the last three years have culminated to this, and he failed. He failed his brother.

He’s being pulled away, and he doesn't have the energy or will to struggle. Most of his weight is carried by the familiar presence, by _Jaemin,_ his brain finally supplies, as he falls into a portal and back to the base.

“Hyuck, Hyuck—” Donghyuck hears amidst the haze of confusion and emotions that are consuming him that he’s not able to process. He grabs onto Jaemin as he slowly crumples onto the floor, pulling Jaemin tightly towards him. He doesn’t remember how long he stays like this until Jaemin manages to pull him out of his daze, and then the first thing Donghyuck notices is Jaemin’s concerned gaze up close before his eyes start to sting with tears. He closes his eyes, dropping his head onto Jaemin’s shoulder as he makes a guttural sound from his throat. He feels impeccably small, like the 15 year old he was when his life had first turned upside down.

“My brother,” Donghyuck manages to let out between sobs, as he senses Dongyoung and Injun’s presence nearby.

_I gave up on him when he had been alive._

_He needed me and I wasn’t there._

_I could’ve saved him, but I didn’t try._

Donghyuck chokes on another sob, and then he closes his eyes once again, hands gripping tightly onto Jaemin. He knows how much it hurt three years ago, but he doesn't remember it hurting like _this_.

He’s suffocating from his guilt, this grief that he doesn’t deserve to feel. He had spent years slowly building up his walls, bandaging this ugly wound from years ago. Now, it’s suddenly ripped apart, revealing the hurt that never healed.

"Hyuck— I'm so sorry," Jaemin whispers, holding him tighter as Donghyuck mourns for his brother.

He holds onto Jaemin, burying his face full of tears into Jaemin’s chest as Donghyuck wonders if he'll ever feel okay again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :]]]] If this hurt I'm so sorry, but I hope it was a good hurt 😭  
> I feel like a lot of people were expecting this to be the chapter where Markhyuck found out about each other's identities, but there's still 7/8 chapters left!!! Chapter 5 is too early for the big reveal 😭
> 
> This is one of the 2 chapters where I hope I manage to elicit real emotions from people, I'd love to hear what people think about this chapter considering everything that went on. So if this chapter made you feel anything (any tears? LOL), I love to hear about it, and any additional thoughts as well!
> 
> Next chapter: The aftermath.
> 
> [my twt](https://twitter.com/2amcoffeerants)


	6. Plectō

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Na Jaemin: Vigilante in hiding. Currently: Trying to help his best friend feel okay again (Why is he doing the boyfriend's job).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo half of this chapter was written in the last 2 weeks because I revised and added more to the overall plot, so I had a lot less time to look over things than usual ; ; but on the other hand this story is probably 14 chapters instead of the 12 I originally had planned now ^ ^

### Federal Agency of Neural Competency: Participant database (Classified)

**Lab participant 324**

Family lineage: n/a

Name: Moon Taeil

Ability: Electromagnetic Manipulation

Level: 8.7

Additional information: Assisted in missions #107, #120, #128, #132, and #134. After refusing to abide by the Workers act and to participate in mission #140 for NCT, he was arrested on charges of treason and as a threat to public safety. Participated in experiments #67, #103 and #127. Final experiment #127, ability transfer, was conducted. As expected, the participant did not survive, however the ability was successfully transferred to the recipient. Refer to Lab participant 000 for chronological account of experimental findings.

  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

Mark is too busy trying to gain an upper hand on the target when Elektōr shows up to mess with him. He glances around ready with a snarky reply when he realizes the vigilante’s hair is not as spiky and is more of a black-brown, flattened out neatly even amidst the rain. _This is Plectō, not Elektōr_ , Mark realizes quickly, but he doesn’t have too many qualms about this.

“Decided to switch it up today?” Mark asks as he avoids a beam of what looks like lightning shooting towards him. He doesn’t know how to get anywhere near the target when he’s bursting with sparks and electricity within a 50 meter radius; electricity isn’t tangible enough for Mark to control.

“Môlos,” Plectō acknowledges as he flies close enough to Mark for him to get annoyed. “We’re just trying something new.” Plectō shrugs, swerving to his right to avoid another rampant strike.

Mark, despite trying to stay professional, tilts his head in confusion. “How do you know my agent name?” Mark had stayed true to his word and never told Elektōr his agent name, so Plectō definitely shouldn’t have known.

Plectō tilts his head in a mirrored look of confusion as a thunder strike from the terrible weather flashes through the dark. “Fȳren told me the first night we met.”

So Elektōr had continued to call him “Lee” when he already knew his actual agent name? Elektōr really took “refusing to follow authority” to a whole other level.

“Sorry about joining this Code Black, by the way. I have to apologize for our bad habit of _not minding our own business_ ,” Plectō adds later, still with a neutral tone but with a side of sarcasm.

 _Ah, so Plectō’s insults are the more saccharine-sweet version of Elektōr’s,_ Mark thinks. Elektōr would return his insults full frontal with crude honesty, but Plectō clearly prefered a more “neutral” stance with a sickeningly charming manner that he obviously didn’t mean. Plectō clearly hasn’t gotten over the incident after the last Code Black, but Mark doesn’t feel too sorry for that.

He wonders how Lucas is doing with Elektōr, and tries to sneak in a glance when Plectō obstructs his vision by flying uncomfortably close to him.

“So are you here to help or make my job harder?” Mark lets the mild annoyance reach his voice as he flies higher away from Plectō.

“I don’t know, after the last time, I’m going to have to think about it,” Plectō replies lazily, opening up a portal for a beam of electricity to redirect back towards the target. Mark opens his mouth wide in terror as Plectō starts free falling, but soon catches himself when Plectō regains control of his flying abilities.

“Man, your ability is convenient, but that part is not,” Plectō sighs, returning to Mark’s side.

So Plectō _had_ been flying using Mark’s abilities. Mark will have to think about the implications later.

Mark turns his head when he hears the slight panic in Lucas’ voice below. It’s dark and wet and extremely freaking cold, but Mark can still see Lucas’ hand is on Elektōr’s shoulder, and the latter is not looking very well.

Lucas’ voice is _loud_ , and Mark can’t help but think that Lucas probably doesn’t want him to see this as he continues observing his partner seemingly holding Elektōr up more than the vigilante himself. The frustration boils in his veins, and he runs his fingers through his hair in annoyance. Why wasn’t Lucas arresting him? Mark would do it himself if he wasn’t handling the target _and_ Plectō right now. 

Plectō swoops back in front of him again, but Mark has seen enough. “You’re dealing with me today, do you really have the leisure time to be looking somewhere else when the Code Black is about to electrocute us right now?” 

Mark swears as he turns just in time to avoid said death sentence, Plectō clearly enjoying Mark’s struggles. The strike he avoids hits the powerline behind him and it topples over, catching on fire.

The power plant supplies energy for many of Seoul’s major facilities such as schools and health care centers... Mark knows that the power outage could be indirectly killing thousands of people right now. He’s learnt his lesson from the last Code Black— He needs to rush the incoming backup; there’s too much going on for him to handle.

He calls discreetly through his comm, hoping he can deal with the Code Black and Plectō for long enough that he will have backup to arrest them both properly this time.

“Môlos! When’s backup arriving?” Lucas decides to yell right then and there. 

He’d smack his friend if he could; Lucas definitely got Mark’s request for backup through his ear piece, but it’s too late, and Plectō is diving back down to grab Elektōr.

 _What the fuck?_ Mark thinks as he witnesses Lucas' poor attempt at looking like he’s trying to stop them before they disappear into a portal. But now that he’s once again alone in the air with the target, he doesn’t have time to deal with this. The target this time has an even more cumbersome ability than the last which unfortunately doesn’t bode well with Mark’s, so he will have to keep his pent up frustration at bay until this case is over.

However, his past experiences with Elektōr have improved his bantering-while-on-a-mission skill, so he sneaks in a reproachful remark anyways.

“Dude, are you serious?” Mark still manages to ask, and Lucas at least has the decency to return an apologetic look. Mark turns his focus back on the target and the radius of energy seems to have multiplied from the last time he had looked. He’s considering whether he has the multi-tasking capabilities to proceed with the mission while simultaneously lecturing his partner when Jaehyun arrives on scene.

Jaehyun, like Lucas, has limited capabilities in handling the target’s abilities, and he wonders why Yuta and Ten (or anyone else for that matter) was not called. Even though Yuta had similar constraints as Mark and Ten had more of a reconnaissance ability, it still would have given them a better shot at apprehending the target.

They could have even brought in YangYang who hasn’t cven graduated, for god’s sake. _His_ ability would’ve been helpful. 

It was in these few moments that Mark felt incredibly alone, wishing Johnny was here. Johnny would definitely be able to figure something out, and with his abilities, he probably would have snuffed this target out in 10 minutes. But Mark is here with two other agents, currently feeling incredibly helpless.

“I was on the way when Johnny notified me of your distress call and read your summary of the situation. He didn’t think we had the abilities to handle it,” Jaehyun says unusually gently amidst the downpour as he brings up a holoscreen of the verdict Johnny had probably just signed, and Mark knows the direction of where this conversation is going.

“Mr. Seo gave his permission for you to terminate the Code Black, so you can be assured that you are under the protection of the Termination Ethics Act,” Jaehyun continues as he closes his holoscreen.

And there it was, the three words Mark dreaded. His body is rejecting this idea immediately— all the physiological symptoms are there. He feels how he turns cold, colder than before even though he had already been pelted with frigid rain. He feels the slight tremor in his hand, but that was easily blamable on the storm. His tongue is dry, sitting uncomfortably in his mouth. His body is reminding him of what happened the last (and only) time he had done this, but he ignores it all.

He nods stiffly at Jaehyun, and then he turns back towards the target. It’s all coming back now like a mirror image of the past. Instead of the murky and wet outdoors, he’s in one of those interrogation rooms in the headquarters. Bright tiles of white marble all around almost hurt his eyes, and there's not a speck of dust anywhere. He’s given an order to test out the extent of his abilities before he graduates and becomes a fully licensed agent, and for the first time, he hesitates, never having killed anyone before.

It wasn’t what he became an agent for, and he and the criminal both pay for it, Mark practically hyperventilating as his eyes glow green while the captive screams and pleads for him to annihilate him properly.

After Johnny tells him that he had done a fairly good job but would need improvement, Mark would smile, ignoring the red that is a starking contrast to the otherwise unblemished room.

Then he would go back to the dorms and relive that scene for weeks on end where he’d see the captive strapped on a chair begging for Mark to end it all. He’d wake up every night to the sound of the prisoner screaming. Or was it him?

But he’s a full-fledged agent now. He has to move on and learn from his mistakes, and do it for the safety of the country. 

As one of the few people in the agency with this ability, Mark knows he is one of the few given this responsibility. And with that responsibility comes the obligation of doing it correctly. NCT would only order him to do this if there was no other solution.

 _The faster you get it over with the better it’ll be,_ Mark reminds himself, so he raises an arm towards the target and closes his eyes.

 _Make it quick and painless, make it quick and painless, make it quick and painless_ —

The heart combusts under his abilities, arteries bursting, bones shattering into unfixable pieces. There’s no pretty way to do this, and he doesn’t want to look at the mess he’s caused. He doesn’t need to open his eyes to know there’s a big pool of blood on the wet concrete, the target a tangle of limbs and bones. He turns around, heart beating too fast as if to compensate for the one he had just stopped beating. He’s not a trainee anymore. He can’t break down from this.

“Minhyung,” Jaehyun rests his hand on his shoulder, using his real name instead of his agent name.

Mark doesn’t have the will to jokingly scold Jaehyun about calling him by his real name (not that he should ever attempt to scold his past instructor) and turns back after composing himself with a deep breath, purposefully avoiding having to look at the body on the ground.

“You know you can talk to me about this if it’s uncomfortable for you right? If you don’t want to do this I can talk to Johnny about delegati—”

“No, I’m fine,” Mark replies, surprised at how calm he sounds. But maybe it’s not calm. Maybe he’s just detached his emotions from the situation, but Mark thinks that’s okay as long as he isn’t falling apart.

  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


Mark manages to return to his room at 3am, him and Lucas both walking silently back to their dorms. He vaguely remembers how he should question Lucas about his actions today, how he should have reported it to Jay while he was there, but now he just isn’t in the mood. He lies down on his bed after finishing his nightly routine, but he can’t sleep. Every time he closes his eyes, he can see the target dying from within, screaming in agony as he looks straight at Mark. He thinks it’s silly, because he didn’t see it and he knows it should be almost instantaneous, but the image haunts him nonetheless.

He continues to stare at his ceiling for what likely is a few hours when he hears rustling outside his room.

 _Did Donghyuck wake up early?_ Mark checks his holoscreen to see that it’s 5am, and eventually decides to visit. He is just about to open his bedroom door when it opens itself to a messy haired Donghyuck. Donghyuck looks like the manifestation of Mark’s currently suppressed feelings, eyes red, dried tear tracks down his face, lips trembling. Mark has never seen Donghyuck this distraught before, and a brief moment passes by before he can take in what is going on.

“Mark,” Donghyuck starts first. “Can we just hug for a bit while I cry—”

Mark doesn’t need to be told any more. He wraps his arms tightly around the younger, letting Donghyuck bury his head into Mark’s shoulder as muffled whimpers escape from the younger’s mouth. Mark leans his head onto Hyuck’s, one hand in his hair as he comforts Donghyuck (and himself) silently with each other’s presence.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


“Donghyuck,” Xuxi nudges him gently, and Donghyuck comes out of his daze. Students are leaving the large lecture hall, and the general direction of the professor that Donghyuck had been staring at is now void of said professor.

“Sorry, Xuxi. Thanks for that.” Donghyuck robotically bends down and reaches for his bag and his skateboard, slowly packing up his things.

“Hey, are you alright?” Xuxi bends forward slightly to examine his face.

“No,” Donghyuck replies like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Well, it _was_ obvious. He has dark eye bags from lack of sleep, his eyes are swollen from all the tears he’s shed, and he’s lost his appetite, replacing half his usual nourishment with caffeine. His caffeine intake was probably getting dangerously close to Jaemin territory, but he pushed through. He had to.

“Something happened during that Code Black from two weeks ago,” Donghyuck freezes, then continues with his packing, “and I think you should talk it out.” Xuxi continues looking at him in worry, but Donghyuck ignores it, shrugging as he wraps his scarf around his neck.

“I’m honestly barely holding myself together to go to class, Xuxi. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Donghyuck has been diverting all his attention to school, to Sicheng’s lab… anything but _that_. He hasn’t returned to being Elektōr yet. He isn’t sure if he can hold himself together and not do something he’ll regret when he sees Lee again, even though he knows it’s not just Lee, but the entirety of NCT’s fault.

He spent the first few days crying and sobbing because of the immense guilt he carried over his brother’s death. His friends had assured Donghyuck that it wasn’t his fault. After all, he hadn’t _known._ He had spent countless nights hacking into government databases for any trace of news about his brother these last three years. He had tried his best, hadn’t he?

But his best wasn’t enough. He had spent his lazy afternoons lounging on the couch with Mark while his brother was being experimented on, being prodded and subjected to pain and suffering that Donghyuck would never know. He had been too busy living his university life chasing after a boy and laughing with his friends while Taeil had taken his last breath.

Donghyuck hasn’t even told Mark. He can never tell Mark. Everything he knows is confidential information built on confidential information, and then he’d have to reveal how he found out— that just isn’t possible.

Xuxi grabs his arm just as he finishes packing, pulling him out of the lecture hall. “Please, Donghyuck. At least try, okay?”

Donghyuck still manages to let out a (bitter) laugh as he lets himself get tugged along into the biting winter cold. “If my boyfriend saw us like this he’d whoop our asses.”

Xuxi stares at him, sighing. “I know.”

The rest of the walk is a tense silence, and they head to that small coffee shop that they went to last time when Xuxi confronted him. Xuxi buys Donghyuck a cup of hot chocolate instead of coffee like last time, but Donghyuck doesn’t complain, taking it wordlessly.

The chocolate tastes sickeningly sweet in Donghyuck's mouth even though he usually can stomach and even enjoy sweet things without complaint. His fingers are cold, and he gladly wraps his hands around the cup, taking in the scent of chocolate.

It’s crazy how much has changed since they were last here.

“If you want, we could just sit here and take a breather,” Xuxi says eventually, gentler than before.

Donghyuck eventually sighs, shaking his head. Xuxi was right. It _would_ be good to talk it out.

“Moon Taeil was my brother.” Donghyuck starts after a long sip of his hot chocolate. He almost doesn’t recognize his own voice, tone so nonchalant as if he was discussing the weather. But he really only needs to say that much. Xuxi knows enough to piece everything together.

“Holy crap,” Xuxi gasps, almost tipping over his cup. It looks like it takes him a while to gather himself and find the right words to say. “I can’t even imagine how it feels to be in your situation, Hyuck. I’m so sorry.”

“I never got to see him since NCT arrested him, and to know that I could’ve saved him… It broke me. I’m not okay, and honestly it feels like I never will be.” Donghyuck is tired. He wants to go back to the way it was before, when he was happy.

The news had covered it. It was a brief thirty second report by the news anchor about how one of the major power plants supplying power to Seoul caught fire which was the reason for the brief blackout. It was due to a Code Black, they said. And because of NCT’s due diligence they solved the problem right away, ending in the culprit’s death. Jaemin had shut the monitors off after that.

It was so inconsequential to everyone else’s lives. A fire in the edge of Seoul with no households nearby that only resulted in an hour of darkness in the city? It didn’t matter to anybody. They will never know what truly happened that day, how much grief Donghyuck had suffered because of it. Everyone went on with their lives the next day like normal except Donghyuck. People on campus were chatting, laughing as they went from one building to the next like usual. Donghyuck felt like he was going insane.

“I wish I could do more,” Xuxi says, and then Donghyuck snaps before he even realizes what he’s done.

“Yeah, like seeing your own brother since he’s _alive_ and on campus? You could go do that,” Donghyuck replies sharply. He’s lashing out, releasing his pent up anger, but he can’t seem to stop.

He had felt bitter about it before, seeing Xuxi hovering around Sicheng yet not getting close enough for Sicheng to notice. But now that Taeil is— gone, his originally small seed of jealousy comes back, sprouting in full force as anger.

Donghyuck’s brother is _dead,_ and then there’s Xuxi doing _this_.

“I don’t understand you at all,” Donghyuck points out as his eyes start to sting. “There is _nothing_ stopping you from seeing him, yet you don’t. You’re being a coward.”

Xuxi sits in silence, and Donghyuck feels slightly guilty at using him as a punching bag, but he continues anyway.

“Do you know how lucky you are? You talk about how much you miss your brother, but the only one stopping you from seeing him is yourself.” Donghyuck hates crying in public, hates letting people see him as weak and emotional. But the think-before-you-say part of his brain has shut off, and he’s stopped caring long ago. “Nobody killed him, nobody arrested him and experimented on him.” 

“Sicheng misses you so much, yet you stand by, continuing on with your life as you send money and call it a day. Do you think monetary compensation does anything to stop how much he misses you? What are you so afraid of?”

Donghyuck’s voice cracks on the last word and he covers his mouth with both hands, shaking, as he tries to muffle his sobs. Xuxi is wide eyed as usual, looking like he doesn’t know whether to comfort him or give him space. Donghyuck knows he’s being unfair to Xuxi who just wanted to help him feel better. He wished he had just gone home after the lecture.

All these feelings of guilt and fear and sadness and anger is _nauseating_ , and he just wants it all to stop.

Fuck, he didn’t want to cry about this for the fifth time (he’s lost count, that’s just an arbitrary number at this point). He’s done enough crying, he’s stronger than this, he doesn’t want to be babied or pitied by Xuxi or anyone. 

There’s a deafening silence between them both which is covered up by the too-jolly music throughout the coffee shop. It’s holiday music, and the constant sound of sleigh bells in the background sounds like mockery to his ears. People in the coffee shop probably would think he got dumped if he ran out now, the cynical part of his brain interrupts to try to alleviate the chaos in his mind. Donghyuck just wants to hide somewhere quiet, away from all this noise and happiness that he can’t feel.

He’s starting to wonder if this is how their coffee chat is going to end when Xuxi’s eyes widen with surprise.

“Plectō?” Xuxi suddenly calls, voice a mix of uncertainty and shock.

A firm arm pulls Donghyuck from his chair before he can look up to confirm Xuxi’s observations. He does eventually, and is shocked to see that it was indeed Jaemin grabbing his cup of hot chocolate. It was Jaemin, dressed up in a regular hoodie and track pants like any other student on campus. Jaemin, wearing an NCTU Engineering snapback that Donghyuck had bought for him, pulled low enough that Xuxi can’t see his face.

_He shouldn’t be here._

“Nana—” Donghyuck gasps as he quickly skims over the people in the coffee shop. “You shouldn’t have.”

Jaemin’s face is still recognizable. He was all over the news two years ago for his parent’s murder, and his face is easy on the eyes. Anyone would recognize him, or atleast think he looked familiar. Even though he’s grown into his broader shoulders and sharp jawline, NCT is still on the hunt for him, he can’t just show up in public—

“We can talk later, Fȳren,” Jaemin ignores Donghyuck in favour of speaking to Xuxi with a rougher tone than usual as he grabs Donghyuck’s things and tugs Donghyuck out of the coffee shop.

Donghyuck stares a little absent-mindedly as he lets himself get dragged out of the coffee shop where Jaemin immediately opens up a portal a few feet away.

“Wait!” Xuxi runs after them, his belongings still in the coffee shop as his breaths come out as white puffs in the cold winter air.

Jaemin stops, turning back slightly as he pulls his cap even lower on his face. “Be quick.”

“You’re right, Donghyuck,” Xuxi says immediately. “I _am_ a coward.”

Jaemin tightens his hold on Donghyuck’s hand, tight enough that it’s cutting off his circulation in his already numb hands.

“I’m afraid that when I see him again, he’ll think of me as those upper levels who mistreat lower levels. That I think I’m above him.”

Xuxi’s eyes are wider than usual, looking at Donghyuck as if he could already imagine their meeting.

“It’s been years, Hyuck. I’m just afraid that when I see him… It won’t be the same.”

“Of course it won’t be the same as before,” Donghyuck replies indignantly. “But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. You’ve both matured. You’ve both grown up. But you’re still his brother.”

Is he projecting? Donghyuck doesn’t know. Either way, the words won’t stop, and Donghyuck doesn’t have his usual energy to filter his thoughts.

“I don’t think he cares about change, Xuxi. He cares about _you_.”

Xuxi takes in a long breath at that, his focus shifting between Donghyuck and Jaemin who is standing behind him with his hand gripping his cap. The air is cold, brisk, and cutting into Donghyuck like knives.

“You’re right, Hyuck. What I’m probably doing is idiotic in your eyes. I should see him, shouldn’t I?”

“Yes you should,” Donghyuck replies briskly as his cheeks start to sting from the cold. He can’t believe he’s doing family counselling when he’s the one who probably needs it, but Sicheng deserves to be happy.

“I want to, Hyuck, I really do. But I can’t let people know, especially not people on campus.” Xuxi nervously looks around before returning his focus to Donghyuck. _So there are other agents hidden among the student population?_

Jaemin interrupts before Donghyuck can answer him. “We’ll figure this out later,” Jaemin says as he drags Donghyuck into the portal before he can say goodbye.

Donghyuck yelps, not expecting Jaemin to tug him away then. He would have liked to say goodbye to Xuxi, at least. He still has manners.

But two steps forward and Donghyuck is back in the base with the scent of coffee and melded steel. The sudden warmth almost burns, and Donghyuck feels suffocated from the heat.

Jaemin drops his bag and skateboard, turning around immediately to look at Donghyuck with knitted brows. Injun is sitting on his chair surrounded by holoscreens typically used for missions, watching their return solemnly.

“Hyuck,” Injun gets up from the chair and brings Donghyuck towards the sofa where the trio sit down.

“You’re doing that thing where you’re distracting yourself with other people’s problems,” Injun says without the usual sarcastic bite he uses with Donghyuck during their banter.

“I don’t know how many times we need to tell you, but Hyuck— You tried your best. It wasn’t your fault,” Injun continues as Jaemin rests his hand over Donghyuck’s which he chooses to focus on.

“It’s NCT’s fault, okay? Please don’t blame yourself anymore.” Jaemin gently guides Donghyuck into a hug, squeezing him encouragingly.

The heat is suffocating, _he’s_ suffocating. Donghyuck knows it’s not his fault yet his brain still tells him that _it’s because of you, it’s because of you_ like a mantra every night. He sees Taeil laughing as his brother teases him to catch up when he falls into a restless sleep every night, sees Taeil morphing into the monstrous being in the storm from that day once Donghyuck does reach him. Every night, he runs after Taeil even though he knows what will happen. And every night, he wakes up in a cold sweat and tears down his face.

Something needs to give, something lodged in his chest needs to give away and let in something new. Donghyuck can feel it, the tipping point, the slight crack in the dam, but it’s not quite there yet.

Donghyuck gets up as he gives a tired smile to Jaemin and Injun. “Thank you,” he says softly. “We should still help Xuxi though,” he says as he swipes up his holoscreen.

Injun sighs, but helps Donghyuck anyway. “I can look up the shift hours for all the staff and students in the Engineering research building,” he says as he returns to his chair and types up a storm on the holoscreen set up.

 _“Sicheng, can you come by the lab tonight?”_ Donghyuck sends a message from the holoscreen. Not that he really needs to ask, knowing how Sicheng stays in his lab almost all the time.

“Do you need me to keep watch?” Jaemin asks as Sicheng replies quickly with the expected confirmation.

Injun sends him the file from the NCTU Engineering department, and Donghyuck looks for a gap of time that will minimize the amount people entering in and out of the building.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll do it.” Donghyuck messages Xuxi next with the details of the meetup. _Tonight_. 

“Why didn’t you choose another day?” Jaemin asks curiously. “Tonight is approaching fast.”

Donghyuck shakes his head. “I want to get this over with.”

Jaemin stays silent, reaching for the cup of hot chocolate Xuxi had bought for Donghyuck that was now more a room temperature chocolate. He sips, making a gagging noise when he realizes that it isn’t coffee, and puts the cup down in disgust.

Dongyoung comes out of his hub, his little experiment room, with a wisp of grey smoke trailing behind him. Donghyuck doesn’t want to know what he is working on that is causing that pungent smell of burnt wires.

“Hyuck-ah, do you want to eat dinner here with us?” Dongyoung takes off his lab coat, heading towards the sofa where Jaemin and Donghyuck are currently sitting.

“No, it’s okay.” Donghyuck gets up from the sofa, slowly collecting his things. “I think I should head back.” He wants to go see Mark, wants to ask him for kisses or cuddles or anything that’ll temporarily fill the gaping hole in his chest. Even though they had an argument prior to everything that happened, Mark comforts him anyways even if he doesn’t know why Donghyuck is upset— and he is extremely thankful for that.

Mark hasn’t brought up anything related to their argument, and Donghyuck silently does the same. Although the argument was over a topic near and dear to his heart, he doesn’t want to admit that their differing perspectives could cause an issue, because it won’t. 

Donghyuck hasn’t told his friends about it either even though he isn’t the type to keep things bottled to himself. Considering everything else that has happened since, he doesn’t want his friends to worry about a potential problem with his relationship as well. It’s just a minor problem compared to everything that’s been going on, right? Right.

“Injun— I’ll contact you tonight,” Donghyuck calls out as a goodbye as he walks towards Injun, expecting him to open a portal for him to return to campus.

“...And how do you expect to leave the base?” Injun half smirks, waiting.

Injun’s plan is clear to everyone, and the rest of the group switches gears immediately.

“Come on, Hyuck, it'll be fun eating dinner together, you rarely eat with us anymore!” Jaemin seamlessly hooks his arm around Donghyuck's, whisking him towards the dining table.

Donghyuck half groans. “I knew it was a bad idea to seal up all the physical entrances.” Donghyuck shakes his head. “I can't believe everyone is ganging up on me.”

“We just miss you, that's all,” Jaemin flutters his lashes dramatically in an attempt to look innocent as Dongyoung finishes the last touches of their meal. It's Donghyuck's favorite, kimchi stew with pork.

Donghyuck watches as Jaemin and Injun sit on one side, leaving a seat next to Dongyoung for him. They all watch him, eyes welcoming with a table full of home cooked dishes.

“You all really want to make me cry, don't you,” Donghyuck laughs as he tries to hold back his tears, sitting down as casually as possible.

Donghyuck glances over the plates of food and can see the slight nervousness in his friends’ eyes. Did they really think he was going to cry again? Because gosh darn it he just might. 

He blinks hard, cheeks lifting as he tries to squint his tears away. He wants to bring up this churning feeling and emotion in his chest, but he can’t quite name it yet when it’s still only simmering in the background. He pushes it all down and puts up a smile, bringing his chopsticks up to grab some sweet potato when he can feel the tension amongst the group collectively release like a big sigh.

“Hyuck, I just want you to know that we’re here to listen and support you no matter what, alright?” Dongyoung mentions as he grabs a piece of kimchi and drops it off in Donghyuck’s bowl.

“Thank you, Dongyoung. I don’t know where I’d be without you three.” Donghyuck smiles, ignoring the possible connotations behind his friend’s statement.

Yes. He definitely shouldn’t mention any of it yet. Not when he can still cling onto the brief moments of normalcy like this to keep himself sane.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


“I’m sorry,” Xuxi says when he meets up with Donghyuck later that night. “I brought you to the coffee shop hoping to make you feel better, but you ended up helping me instead.”

Donghyuck sighs. “Sicheng deserves this.” Even if Donghyuck can’t meet his brother, if he can help Sicheng, he will.

Donghyuck had just met up with Xuxi and dragged him into their base for a debrief. He would never allow anyone outside of their group in normal circumstances to enter, but Xuxi was no stranger, and his current track record of helping Donghyuck had been perfect so far. Plus, there were security measures everywhere nowadays. Donghyuck could override all the security feeds on campus, but it would still be almost impossible hiding what they were doing.

Dongyoung had gone home for the night while Jaemin and Injun were both wearing suits to hide their identities. Injun absolutely despises the tight fitting suits that Donghyuck and Jaemin wear, but paranoia got the better of him in the end— they still didn’t trust Xuxi completely.

Understandable, considering how both of them have been hiding from the authorities for the last two years.

But back to the current situation. Xuxi’s nervous energy can’t seem to be contained even with his big size, so Donghyuck offers him an encouraging smile.

“Don’t worry, Xuxi. You’ll see Sicheng and nothing will happen.”

“I’m not too worried about intruders, I trust you. I’m just worried about Sicheng’s reaction.” Xuxi switches his balance between his two legs, shifting restlessly.

“It’ll be fine, I promise. Sicheng will be so happy to see you.” Donghyuck pats Xuxi on the back, and Injun coughs for attention, sitting on the couch as far away from Xuxi as possible.

“I’ll open a portal now.” Injun points lazily before Donghyuck can answer. The portal opens, and Donghyuck makes eye contact with Xuxi before entering into the portal first.

He steps in and is immediately in Sicheng’s lab. It’s dark, and Sicheng is drawing in that notebook of his, waiting for him. Donghyuck doesn’t know how Sicheng can still draw legibly with only the moonlight to guide him.

“Sicheng,” Donghyuck says gently. He startles, jumping a little on his seat before turning around quickly. He probably had expected the sound of the door opening and not Donghyuck entering silently like a ghost. Sicheng eyes the portal with a tilt to his head, but doesn’t bring it up.

“Hey! What did you want to meet me tonight for?” Sicheng smiles welcomingly. “You also look better, I'm glad,” he adds a little later.

Donghyuck shakes his head. “It's not me today, I brought someone who wanted to see you.” The portal reopens and Donghyuck pulls Xuxi out, and Sicheng immediately freezes.

Both Xuxi and Sicheng look like deer caught in the headlights with mirroring expressions of shock. They're both standing, looking at each other with eyes full of emotions that Donghyuck won’t ever understand.

“I'll leave you two to it,” Donghyuck says eventually as he heads towards the lab’s only entrance to keep a lookout, but the two don't seem to hear.

It's only when Donghyuck shuts the door and stands guard outside when he hears them finally speak.

“Yukhei… Is that really you?”

“Sicheng— I missed you so much—”

Xuxi’s voice falters near the end, and then Donghyuck thinks he can hear crying, but he stops listening after that. It’s a heart to heart between brothers, _real_ brothers, and he isn’t a part of that. No matter how much Sicheng cares about him, no matter how much he cares about Sicheng, he’ll never have that bond. So he steps away from the cold metal door, looking up at the dark stairwell lit up by the moon for any movement as the biting winter wind cuts his cheeks.

Donghyuck feels lost. Like he’s at a standstill. He’d spent these last three years under the mask as Elektōr with one goal in mind, And now he’s somehow reached a finish line. It’s a painful finish, a sudden stab to the gut that drags him to the end, but a completed goal nonetheless.

He’s starting to acknowledge it, isn’t he. That his brother is gone. That this is the new normal he has to learn to accept. He’s surprisingly at peace with it now— maybe the past weeks of anguish and pain have finally caught up to him.

Taeil died because of NCT. His brother had refused to follow their rules, and he paid for it in the worst possible way. Just thinking of it causes Donghyuck’s stomach to churn. What could Donghyuck have done?

Then an idea creeps into his mind. Or maybe it had been there all along, waiting in the dark corner in his mind for a chance to insidiously latch on and never let go. So that’s what he had been feeling— It was anger and a heated desire for revenge.

Donghyuck can feel a plan forming and closes his eyes. Tears are running down his face again, but this time it’s different. There’s no difficulty breathing, no gut wrenching, chest opening hurt. Instead, there’s a fire in his stomach, hot enough that it almost burns even in the freezing night.

Something sinister takes over his chest. It’s a different feeling, but a welcome one after the helplessness he had felt for the past week. It gives him a goal, reignites the fiery motivation that had been dormant for the past weeks.

He’s decided.

Donghyuck contacts Injun as he opens his eyes again.

_We’re resuming our activities tomorrow._

_Good to have you back, Hyuck._

_We’ll be quite busy from now on._

_We have extra things planned?_

_Yes, let’s discuss this with Jaemin later._

There’s a gentle knock on the door which interrupts his conversation with Injun, but he had discussed this with Xuxi before and knew it was coming. He turns back around, making sure no one is nearby before reentering the lab.

It takes a while to get used to the sudden blast of warmth, and then he notices the glassy-eyed look both Sicheng and Xuxi are wearing.

 _So they both cried,_ Donghyuck thinks amusedly. 

“We can plan a few more of these in the future if you’d like,” Donghyuck brings up when Sicheng looks like he wants to say more.

“Thank you, Donghyuck.” Sicheng smiles, reaching for his hands and squeezing them gently as gratitude. Sicheng’s hands are warm, a sharp contrast to Donghyuck’s almost frozen fingers from the frigid cold.

Sicheng lets go, looking back towards his own brother. Donghyuck feels the twinge of jealousy again, but he lets it simmer instead of pushing it away like usual.

“I’ll see you soon,” Xuxi whispers softly.

Xuxi is too still, looking like he’s trying to stop himself from bawling all over again. Sicheng takes two steps forward, hugging his brother. “See you,” he says softly.

Injun opens a portal with the usual impeccable timing, and Donghyuck and Xuxi both return to the base. Donghyuck should feel happy that he did something for Sicheng, but at the same time he feels something else inside that he shouldn’t be feeling. It’s an ugly emotion and he doesn’t want to name it. He’d look like a bad person if he said it out loud.

He helped Sicheng, but he had decided on doing it quickly because he had something else planned.

Xuxi watches as the portal closes, longingly looking at the closing entrance.

Injun doesn’t even wait for the portal to close before leaving to hide out in his bedroom. Donghyuck watches as his friend leaves, and casually heads towards the couch to relax.

“See, that wasn’t so bad was it?” Donghyuck interrupts the melancholic silence as he lays down and takes up the entirety of the couch. Dongyoung hates it when he puts his feet up like that, but he can always just bring up how Dongyoung does the same.

“Yes, it was everything I had hoped for.” Xuxi slowly turns back, looking at Donghyuck with a light that hadn’t been in his eyes before. “Thank you, Donghyuck.”

“Since I helped you out, can I ask you for a favour?” Donghyuck gets straight to business. This is what he was waiting for, and this is why there’s that ugly feeling gnawing inside him.

“Anything,” Xuxi replies earnestly.

Donghyuck sits back up on the couch, looking at Xuxi as he ignores the earnestness in his eyes. “I want you to raid the operation director’s office for data.”

Xuxi’s eyes widen, flickering back and forth as if he can’t believe what he just heard. “Okay, Hyuck, I said anything but that’s a little insane—”

“So you’re okay with everything that’s going on? We have to get more valuable information, daily finance reports don’t cut it anymore.” Donghyuck’s fists tighten at his side, the anger he had felt out in the bitter cold grabbing at his chest once again.

“You’ve shown me that I will only ever get useful information if we take risks. There’s no point in me raiding the usual buildings just to find emails about the employees’ coffee order.” Donghyuck closes his eyes. He has to do something. Taeil _died_ for this, and he won’t tolerate any of this anymore.

“So Xuxi. Please. Just once.”

He can feel Xuxi staring into him for the uncomfortable seconds that follow.

“... You know this isn’t even, and that you’ll owe me after this right?” Xuxi replies eventually, sighing as he raises a hand to massage his temples.

Donghyuck returns a half-hearted smile. “Yes, Xuxi. Whatever you say.”

“Gosh, I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this, I am so going to get caught—”

“Also, I’m going to have to apologize in advance.” Donghyuck interrupts Xuxi’s dramatic monologue. He’s sure Xuxi will be careful.

“Oh, come on Hyuck, what are you going to do now? Xuxi pouts slightly, jutting his jaw forward in resignation.

Donghyuck smiles tiredly, tilting his head to one side. Has it passed midnight yet? He wants to see Mark soon, cuddle up to him wordlessly to hopefully comfort himself from his inevitable reliving of his memories. “You’ll see.”

Xuxi frowns at that. “Hyuck, whatever you do, don’t go too crazy, alright? You look like you’re running on fumes.”

“I like keeping myself busy. That’s just how I am, alright? No need to worry about me.” Donghyuck shrugs his shoulders, not able to look Xuxi in the eye.

That doesn’t alleviate the frown on Xuxi’s face, but he doesn’t say anymore.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

Jaemin kicks Xuxi out eventually, stating how they were going to sleep. Xuxi had jokingly asked if they ever slept, but then Injun decided to open the portal from right underneath him and Xuxi didn’t have any time to retaliate before falling through the floor.

Donghyuck had let out a little snicker at that, covering his small smile with a cough as Xuxi’s surprised yelp echoed through the portal.

“Okay, so let’s get our meeting started.” Jaemin turns around to look at Donghyuck who’s still lounging on the couch as he sits down on the couch beside him.

“I’ll call Dongyoung back,” Injun swivels around his chair and sends Dongyoung a message.

“So what’s the plan now?” Jaemin asks as soon as Dongyoung returns.

“We’re going to start raiding NCT field offices now,” Donghyuck replies. “It’ll have more information than raiding random buildings with suspiciously high amounts of security.” Donghyuck nods at Dongyoung, and they both laugh a little at that. That was how Donghyuck had met Dongyoung after all, Donghyuck with his poorly hidden disguise of a hood pulled over his face when he first started alone. “It’s the next best thing we have to raiding the headquarters, and I know no one wants to do that.”

Dongyoung gulps nervously, arms resting on his legs as he leans forward with his full attention.

“That means our raid locations will be much more predictable and we’ll have less time before the agents arrive,” Injun points out. Donghyuck nods. That much is expected. Hopefully Xuxi doesn’t need much sleep, but that was what the apology was for.

Jaemin nods, face serious. “That’s understandable. We can start planning them now. When are we doing the first one?”

“Tomorrow night,” Donghyuck replies instantly. “So let’s get started with the planning, we have less than 24 hours.”

Injun frowns. “Why don’t you push it for later? We’re not in a rush.”

“Well, there are quite a few branches. And I want to increase our raids from twice a month to every other day so we can get through all the branches in Korea quickly.” Jaemin, Doyoung, and Injun’s eyes widen comically at that, and they all exchange a wordless look. Donghyuck can practically hear the alarms going off their heads.

“Hyuck-ah, don’t you think that’s a little too frequent?” Dongyoung starts immediately.

“Yeah, I’m not going to invert my sleep schedule for this,” Injun adds.

Jaemin rests a hand on his shoulder. “Hyuck, that’s definitely too much, you have school and other things to worry about—”

“I’ve already decided. If you all think it’s too much, you don’t have to help me,” Donghyuck suggests coldly as he shrugs Jaemin’s hand off his shoulder. No one is going to stop him, and if he’s going alone, so be it.

“No, Hyuck. That’s too dangerous. I don’t agree, but there’s absolutely no way I’m going to let you do this by yourself.” Jaemin rests his hand on Donghyuck’s leg instead, his face clearly showing his concern.

“The chances of you getting caught quadruple if we leave you to your own devices,” Injun states.

“Hyuck, I don’t know exactly why you’ve suddenly become this motivated,” Jaemin’s brows knit together. Donghyuck doesn’t like the worried look his friends are all wearing but he ignores them. “but you’re the one who told me two years ago that revenge was never worth it, so don’t you dare go against your own words now.”

“This isn’t revenge,” Donghyuck justifies, though the anger inside him says otherwise.

There’s another silent conversation between the three of his friends, but Donghyuck lets them. He’s decided, and no one is going to stop him.

Dongyoung sighs eventually. “This is going to be a long night.”

Donghyuck smiles a little at that. “Well, time to relive your university experience that you enjoyed so much pulling all nighters, am I right?”

Jaemin laughs. “If this is what the university experience is like, I’m glad I don’t get to partake in it.”

Donghyuck pouts. “Nana, all nighters aren’t fun but meeting new people are. Plus you haven’t gotten to go outside in a while. Wasn’t the campus so pretty while you were there? You could even go date a cute guy like I did.” Donghyuck reaches for Jaemin and wraps his arms around Jaemin’s waist, pressing his cheek against his shoulder.

Injun stares daggers at Donghyuck, but he ignores it. Jaemin doesn’t realize however, and replies chirpily. “Hyuck, why won’t you show me any photos of you and your boyfriend together? You always talk about him, you two sound like such a perfect couple and I’m honestly jealous.”

Donghyuck laughs louder. Jaemin was inadvertently fanning the flames himself. Injun is definitely sulking now, looking like he’s having a pity party for himself before he swivels away back to his monitors.

“Guys, let’s get to work,” Injun interrupts gruffly as he starts typing aggressively into the keyboard.

It was fun teasing Injun, but he was right. Donghyuck stretches, getting ready for the upcoming planning.

It’ll be a long night of many, Donghyuck knows for sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a sort of break in between all the things going on, but it'll start ramping up again soon!
> 
> Please let me know what you think so far, I love reading the comments!
> 
> Next chapter: Some heart to heart? + New perspective...
> 
> [my twt](https://twitter.com/2amcoffeerants) | [my cc](https://curiouscat.me/2amcoffeerants)


	7. Fȳren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas Wong: Terrified Pyrokinetic. Currently: Praying he doesn’t get caught snooping around (Why did he agree to do this).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaha I am a little later than usual, I'm sorry! But like I said, 2ish weeks not 2 so I'm still technically on time? 😂
> 
> 100% betaed! Everything else before this will be updated soon with the beta-ed version

### Donghyuck, Injun, Jaemin, and Dongyoung (What are we going to call ourselves? • JM)

This group of misfits ~~named the cool kids~~ who have not named themselves as of this entry consists of Donghyuck, Dongyoung, Jaemin, and Injun, who joined in that order respectively.

Injun and Jaemin stay in their underground base of an undisclosed location at all times except when Jaemin is out on missions. After Injun joined the team, they permanently closed the entrance, and the only method of entry and exit are now Injun and Jaemin’s portals. Dongyoung lives in a small apartment elsewhere, but spends most of his free time at the base as that is where he keeps his inventions and prototypes. It is extremely spacious, with a main room consisting of the many monitors Injun uses to check on the progress of missions, a kitchen with a lot of storage space for groceries, produce, and Jaemin’s coffee beans, a large laboratory and or experimental room, two bedrooms for Injun and Jaemin, and an extra guest bedroom for when Dongyoung stays overnight.

Formed approximately three years ago, Donghyuck and Jaemin roam around the city for any open sources into NCT’s database that may contain any useful information they can broker off to an information dealer they know for side income. The dealer they do business with will only distribute to people who will not misuse it, and Donghyuck personally knows the information dealer and trusts him not to. They also use the information they find to help other people in need which is how Injun and Jaemin ended up joining the team. Donghyuck, Injun, and Jaemin also take job offers occasionally from other people depending on what the job requires, the amount of risk, and pay as referred to by their information dealer.

  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


Mark has not had more than 5 hours of sleep a night this past month, and he really wants to blame Elektōr for it. Two weeks after the second Code Black, Elektōr started invading NCT’s administrative branches which was a step up from the lackluster security the previous buildings used. Not only that, he’d amped up the frequency— from every other week to almost every other day.

Mark obviously doesn’t know anything about Elektōr’s private life, but he can’t help but wonder if the guy is jobless and dedicating all his time doing this. Plus, the second semester’s midterm season is well underway, and unlike Elektōr, he has to study— all these extra incidents means he has to write up more reports. He also can’t invert his sleep schedule because he has classes to attend, so Mark can’t help but be crankier than usual when he catches Elektōr in the act for the 3rd time this week.

“Can you please take a break? Why are you suddenly so motivated?” Mark asks exasperatedly, too tired to run over to try and arrest him at the same time. “This seriously can’t be healthy for you even if you don’t have a life outside of this, but I do, and my quality of life is declining rapidly because of you,” Mark closes his eyes to try and block out the headache he has from how much coffee he’s drunk.

“Very funny,” Elektōr replies in an equally tired tone, and Mark wants to roll his eyes because Elektōr has no one to blame but himself.

Elektōr hasn’t been playing around as much, his usual mockery slowly replaced with unhidden scorn. Maybe he’s finally lost his patience, but Mark has also lost his.

“You are wasting people’s time and resources as well as causing damage to the government’s intellectual and physical property. You seriously are a nuisance to society, why can’t you be more respectful of—”

“You think I do this for fun?” Elektōr interrupts him, full blown anger in his voice unlike his usual banter. Mark stills, shocked. Elektōr has always seemed so distant, aloof, almost constantly grinning like he thought everything was for his own amusement, but this Elektōr was none of those. Mark can’t decide if a persistently grinning Elektōr or this new Elektōr is worse.

“Well, you always act like you don’t care, my ability isn’t mind reading,” Mark answers carefully, unsure where to tread so as to not cause another outburst.

There’s a tense silence, neither of them moving. They’re watching the other like two animals circling their prey until Elektōr turns his head towards the holoscreen set up beside him.

“Did you know that this database has a list of kids 17 and under that NCT is on the lookout for?” Elektōr suddenly changes the topic as he presents a USB quickly before throwing it into a small portal, leaning lazily on the desk. Mark should have stopped him, but he’s too tired to even realize it’s gone until it’s too late. 

“The list mainly consists of kids that can’t control their abilities, usually kids with a high baseline,” Elektōr closes one eye, tracing his finger over the empty holoscreen, probably reading over the data. “The first one on the list… a Zhong Chenle, who seems to be a seismic wave manipulator?” Elektōr reopens the eye and blows a low whistle, seemingly impressed. He looks back at Mark, tilting his head in a mocking manner. “Wouldn’t NCT _love_ to kill him for his powers,” Elektōr adds, and Mark curses inwardly at the sarcastic tone.

“If we find him, we’d be able to help him gain control of his abilities,” Mark snaps sharply. That was obviously the purpose of the list; anybody with any common sense could figure that out. Missing kids with uncontrolled powers were a big danger to society that could cause Code Black levels of destruction if provoked. Besides, how would NCT convince Chenle to work for them if he was dead? Chenle would be a promising agent with the correct training.

“Really,” Elektōr replies in a dark tone. “Is that what you really think NCT does with them?”

And then Mark snaps. He’s had enough. He’s tired, he needs to finish that paper due in 5 hours, he wants to put an end to this so he can _go back to his dorm and his boyfriend._ He lunges right at Elektōr without the usual retort, his patience running low. Elektōr mockingly tilts his head to the side to avoid his punch, and Mark fumes at how easy he makes it look, as if he had just avoided a fly. 

Elektōr ducks, disappearing from Mark’s sight and Mark has to skid to a stop to avoid crashing into the holoscreen setup. He turns around, sleepy but not sleepy enough to miss the expected attack. 

Maybe it's because of Elektōr’s foul mood and the increased frequency of his raids, but he's being exceptionally sloppy today.

Well, it doesn’t mean much in terms of what Mark has named the Elektōr-scale.

After many run-ins with Elektōr, Mark has realized that behind Elektōr’s façade is a perfectionist who likes to pretend he has everything under control. His performances are almost always in the upper range of the scale, which Mark had dubbed the “I make everything look easy” section, but today, he can see it tipping, nearing the area for error. Mark just needs to extend the period of close combat for as long as possible, and Elektōr may just make a mistake.

It's unusually silent during their fight today, Elektōr clearly not in much mood for chatter. That's better for Mark anyways, as he can finally focus on arresting the criminal.

Mark eventually starts to feel the fatigue set in, and he begins to wonder if this is just a new tactic of Elektōr’s to let him think he has a chance at winning. But soon after he starts to doubt himself, Elektōr falters.

_There._

Mark sends a solid kick to Elektōr’s chest, and to Mark's horror, there's a horrible thud and Elektōr crumples to the floor.

Mark stares, the full realization of what just happened not occurring to him yet. That was a good kick, but it shouldn't have debilitated Elektōr _that_ much.

But that is indeed Elektōr, on the ground, wheezing, not getting back up. This is too easy, isn’t it? Is it just the continuation of the new tactic?

Either way, an Elektōr on the ground is an Elektōr that's easy to arrest, so Mark reaches for his handcuffs, bending down to grab a hold of Elektōr’s arm.

Mark is expecting some sort of trick, so he eyes Elektōr’s every movement as he starts putting the cuffs over his wrists. Still, he doesn’t expect the flash of pain all over when he’s just about to close the cuff. Elektōr almost never uses his abilities during physical combat, and Mark never fully appreciated that until now. He howls in agony, falling onto his knees as he drops the handcuffs. The brief flash of pain all over subsides into a dull throb, all sensation reduced to pins and needles as he remembers a milder version of this happening to him after the first Code Black.

Goddammit, he’d fallen for Elektōr’s trickery again. To think he had thought that maybe, just maybe, the slightly haggard look in Elektōr’s eyes hadn’t been a trick of the moonlight. What an absolute imbecile he was. He shouldn't have hesitated when he already had the cuffs around Elektōr’s wrists.

He can only watch Elektōr slowly stand up as Plectō runs into the room. There’s a silent conversation between the two, a glare from Plectō and a shake of his head from Elektōr as a portal opens up.

He wills his muscles to move, but they stubbornly refuse to work as Plectō enters a portal first.

“You are absolutely _incorrigible_ ,” Mark manages to spit out, seething.

Elektōr turns back to stare at Mark, a dark glimmer in his eyes as he disappears wordlessly after his partner.

Mark can only dumbly look at the portal close as Lucas reappears seconds too late. Still on his knees, Mark starts regaining his senses, and he immediately punches the ground, hard enough that his knuckles bruise.

Ever since he’d graduated the trainee program, nothing had been going right. This mission shouldn’t have taken this long— other agents from their graduating batch had completed at least one mission, yet here he is with Lucas, still failing to capture these two petty criminals.

Mark hadn’t been like this as a trainee. He had been calm, collected, and had completed everything with precision and speed. But Elektōr— Elektōr knew exactly how to ignite anger Mark had not ignited in himself, knew exactly how to make him lose his composure. He hates this, hates how a criminal can dismantle him as if he knew him like the back of his hand. How can he face Johnny? How can he face Jaehyun? He doesn’t deserve his scholarship, doesn’t deserve his scores. He doesn’t deserve to have NCT’s badge on his suit—

“Hey, Môlos,” Lucas hunches over slightly to place his arm gently on Mark’s shoulder. Mark looks up at his best friend, concern evident in his eyes. Mark sighs, trying not to worry his partner. After all, it isn’t like him to be this discouraged either.

“I’m fine,” Mark answers, stiffly getting up from his knees. He dusts himself off, stretching to quicken the return of sensation around his back.

“Any injuries?” He asks Lucas while rolling his ankles gently.

“Nothing too serious, Plectō has been nicer to me recently and stopped tazing me. At most just bruises.”

Mark wants to groan. Did the two criminals decide to switch strategies? Why was _he_ suddenly the one receiving the brunt of the voltage-laced attacks?

“Lucky,” he mutters as he rolls his head around in a circle, pulling up his holoscreen. “Let’s get this done quickly.” He yawns as he starts typing. He really should think about making a template to lessen the load each time…

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


“Donghyuck, you almost got _caught_!” Dongyoung shouts the moment Donghyuck enters the base where he can only look down at his boots in shame.

“What happened there?” Injun interrupts, giving Donghyuck a look over.

“I don’t know,” Donghyuck says, unsure. “I think I blacked out for a second,” he adds after a while, which he realizes isn’t the most reassuring thing to say after he very nearly got arrested.

He was fighting against Lee, and then his vision blurred and he was on the ground. The next thing he felt was the cold metal against his wrist, and he _panicked_. He couldn’t let himself get caught, and his brain went straight to survival mode.

“Oh my gosh, Hyuck,” Injun has both hands gripping so tightly onto his arms that he almost winces. “You’ve been pushing it too much, Môlos almost arrested you!”

“We told you not to be so hard on yourself.” Dongyoung is lecturing him with his serious father voice, but Donghyuck knows it’s no one else's fault but his own so he takes it silently. “You’ve been working non-stop, and look what’s happened!”

“Don’t just think about yourself, Hyuck. Jaemin is dragged into this because of you too. All of us have to spend our days worried about you both, planning everything as best as we can so this doesn’t happen!” Injun continues badgering him, pointing a finger onto his chest.

“We’re all doing our part, so you should too. Don’t go around recklessly doing things like this!”

Donghyuck knows. He _knows_ how much he messed up. He’s always had things under his control. He wouldn’t go on with plans if he wasn’t 100% confident, and that was the rule. But then he had ignored planning and being careful and had gone on a rampage for the past month. And now he almost ruined everything.

“I- I hadn’t meant to use that much power,” Donghyuck says with his brows furrowed in worry as he shrugs Injun’s hand off him. “Do you think Lee is alright?”

“Donghyuck, why are you worrying about other people?” Jaemin pulls off his own mask to look at Donghyuck more closely. “Are _you_ alright?”

Donghyuck nods his head. “Yeah, I’m alright.”

Dongyoung has both his hands on his waist as his frown deepens even further. “You clearly are not, Donghyuck. I hope you go back to your dorm tonight and think about what has been going on for the past month and why you should take care of yourself better. We are putting all the administrative branch raids on hold until you are rested.” Donghyuck knows this isn’t really the time but Dongyoung really is the very image of a father lecturing his child.

“But the kids—”

“We’ll look for the kids on the list after you rest,” Injun interrupts. “Dongyoung’s right, Hyuck. You need a break. We didn’t stop you when we should’ve, and we’re sorry. We’re just glad nothing happened to you.” Injun then sighs, awkwardly shuffling towards him to give him a hug which Jaemin joins readily. Dongyoung eventually joins as well, and Donghyuck is squished right in the center of it all.

Slowly, Donghyuck raises his arms and holds onto his friends tightly. He rests his chin on Injun’s shoulder as he raises one arm to pat Injun gently on the back (who’s the only person he can reach without bending his arm in an awkward position). He isn’t sure if he’s trying to comfort his friends or himself. It’s warm, but it’s a comfortable warmth unlike the heat he felt this past month.

“I’m sorry too,” He says, voice muffled by Injun’s hoodie. “I didn’t mean to worry everyone.”

“You better not have meant it you fool,” Dongyoung sniffles slightly as he leaves the hug and faces away from Donghyuck.

“No, really,” Donghyuck tugs on the back of Dongyoung’s jacket. “I messed up, really bad. I know I did. I was angry, and dragged you all into it. I’m really sorry.”

Dongyoung finally turns around, eyes suspiciously shiny as he embraces Donghyuck again. He lets go before Donghyuck can even react, and clears his throat while looking away.

“Okay young man, you need to go back to the dorms and go straight to bed now, alright? Sleep.” Dongyoung practically shoves Donghyuck towards Injun, and before he knows it he’s back in the dorm.

It’s completely silent after the portal closes. It’s eerie, lonely even. Mark is out studying, and it doesn’t seem like he’s back yet by the lack of hustle and bustle in the dorm.

Donghyuck slowly leaves his room to head towards the couch. He knows Dongyoung said to sleep, but Dongyoung also said to reflect on his own actions. And to be honest, he really should, after all the mistakes he had made. He sighs, wrapping himself with the fluffy blanket he had bought for the couch. 

The look of pure hatred from Lee after he struck back just now returns to haunt him. He’d like to think they were at least on talking terms, but Donghyuck might have just reversed all the progress with that one strike.

He snuggles deeper into his blanket. _I really messed up._

  
  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


Mark yawns once again as he returns to the dorm, standing in front of the door to his dorm. After finishing the most recent incident report, he had said his goodbyes with Lucas as per usual, but stayed out just a little longer to send a message to Johnny about Lucas’ behaviour during the last Code Black. He trusted his friend and partner, but he had to be truthful. Having trained with Lucas since the beginning, Mark was confident that despite Lucas’ shortcomings, he cared as much about protecting the people as Mark did. Now that Mark has become more desensitized to the emotional turmoil he had initially felt after that Code Black, Mark manages to type up a brief summary of Lucas’ actions for Johnny without that terrible pressure he feels in his chest or the shaking in his hand he couldn’t stop for the past month. Sending the message to Jaehyun might just result in a reprimanding and consequences that Lucas won't learn from, and Mark trusts Johnny to do what was right.

Now standing outside the dorm entrance, Mark hopes Donghyuck is sleeping, but he hasn’t been sleeping well these last few weeks since the night he came back looking like his world had fallen apart. They had both been staying up late recently, Mark excusing himself to go study in the library while Hyuck had made it a pattern to wait for him on the living room couch.

Mark desperately wants to make his boyfriend feel better, but he can’t offer anything more than the generic “it'll get better”s when he doesn’t know the context. However, he won’t pressure Hyuck to tell him if he doesn’t want to. He had asked that first day, and Donghyuck had only hid his face further into Mark’s hoodie, shaking his head as he continued to cry. So the only thing Mark can do right now is wait patiently by his side, hoping his presence can be enough of a comfort.

He pauses just as he’s about to unlock the door, an idea forming in his head. Maybe going on a date as a distraction would be good for Donghyuck, good for both of them.

Mark was physically drained, losing sleep over school, over Elektōr, over the image of the second Code Black’s body bending and shattering under his will. The last one probably contributed the most, no matter how much Mark told himself that it had been for the safety of everyone involved. There had been minimal damage, and no one had been severely injured because Mark dealt with the target quickly. And now, the country had renewed faith in how NCT dealt with emergencies. After all, the damage done in the first Code Black had been less than ideal, and after Johnny’s promise, NCT had to prove that they were prepared. Mark had done what he was told to do and saved many lives because of it, so he shouldn’t be losing sleep over this. But he still can’t.

Yes, a date would be good for the both of them.

He straightens up in front of the door, taking in a deep breath. _Check on Hyuck, ask him to go on a date, fix your injuries, go to sleep,_ he mentally makes a list while tapping his card on to the lock.

Mark pushes the door open with a click to see Hyuck sitting on the couch, hugging his legs close to himself. He’s staring into the TV even though nothing is playing, eyes unfocused. Mark’s heart breaks in two seeing Donghyuck in this state; he’d do anything to see his bright smile again.

“Hyuck,” Mark says without thinking, alerting Donghyuck of his presence. A ghost of a smile traces his face, and he replies with a soft hello. 

“Babe.” Mark sits down on the couch, gently moving Donghyuck so the younger’s head leans into his chest. Donghyuck snuggles up to his sweater (face forward) so his reply is a muffled “mmmph”, and Mark chuckles softly.

“How was your day today?”

“I did something stupid,” Donghyuck says, his voice muffled from the cotton of Mark’s hoodie.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Mark asks encouragingly. Mark always asks, even if he doesn’t expect an answer. It is a welcome surprise, however, when Donghyuck does answer with something he can work with.

“I almost let anger get the best of me. I became someone I didn’t know, and I regret it a lot.” Donghyuck brings his arms around Mark’s waist, holding him tighter. Mark purses his lips as he tries his very best not to wince or make a face. He stopped telling Donghyuck when he got injured since he knew his boyfriend didn’t need more worries right now; he intends to keep it that way.

“I did that once,” Mark says quietly. This is the first time Donghyuck has given any hints as to what has been bothering him lately, and Mark won’t let this opportunity to help Donghyuck go if he can help it. “I was so blinded by my anger that I lost sight of my goal, of what I wanted to do.”

Donghyuck removes his face from Mark’s hoodie, looking up at him with those wide eyes like he had the first time when he helped Mark put on his glasses on move-in day.

“Mark, I’ve never seen you scary-angry. Do you even get pissed off?”

Mark chuckles softly as he brushes a strand of hair away on Donghyuck’s forehead. “Well, I do get angry. But usually I’m good at keeping my emotions at bay.” Except for the fact that his frustrations have been bubbling past his limits recently, but Donghyuck doesn’t need to know that. “I was young, back then. I was so frustrated at the world, and said or did a lot of things I didn’t mean and hurt a lot of people.”

Donghyuck inhales sharply. “And how did you find yourself again?”

Mark smiles as he leans forward to plant a kiss on Donghyuck’s forehead. “People stayed by my side and supported me.”

Donghyuck leans back a little to examine Mark closely, and Mark can feel how his eyes wander all across his face. 

Donghyuck eventually returns to snuggling up to Mark’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. Mark wonders if he can hear how quickly his heart is going right now, if Donghyuck knows how he can make him feel like he ran a mile.

“You always know what to say, Mark,” Donghyuck replies eventually. Mark smiles. A win for today out of all his other losses.

“Not always, but I try,” Mark rests his head on Donghyuck’s, happy that he achieved one small thing today.

They reach a comfortable silence, Donghyuck in Mark’s arms. Mark could easily fall asleep like this, but he still needs to ask Donghyuck about the date.

“By the way, Hyuck,” Mark’s jaw runs up against Donghyuck’s head of hair, and the younger starts wriggling out of his grasp. “We’ve been together for a few months now, and we rarely go out on dates together because we’re always busy with school or at home together.” Mark swallows, taking a breather. “So I was thinking that we could take a break from studying for midterms and go to the amusement park together this weekend?”

Donghyuck finally manages to escape his grasp, and he looks up at Mark for a second time. This Donghyuck reminds Mark so much of the Donghyuck that had looked up at him that day at the library before the first Code Black, with a twinkle of light returning in the boy’s eyes.

“Really?” The boy asks, almost hopeful.

“Of course, only if you want to, if you think it’s too childish we can do something else,” Mark answers after some thought.

“No, I think it’s perfect,” Donghyuck smiles, more real than the ones Mark has seen these past few weeks.

Mark brings his face down to kiss the top of Donghyuck’s forehead. “Then it’s a deal. Let’s go to sleep now, yeah? It’s 4am, both our sleep schedules are so messed up,” Mark adds jokingly to lighten the mood. He starts to get off the couch when Donghyuck’s hand grabs onto his hoodie, stopping him.

“Can we stay here? Together?” Donghyuck asks tentatively.

Mark had planned to fix his injuries before heading to sleep, but he’s too tired to think up a valid excuse right now.

Mark smiles, sitting back down and pulling Donghyuck gently down with him so they’re both laying on their side. “Of course,” he murmurs as he wraps his arms around Donghyuck, both of them comforted by the other.

“Thank you, Mark,” Donghyuck says softly as he starts drifting off to sleep.

Mark’s eyes are closed, almost asleep but he smiles as he snuggles a little closer to Donghyuck.

Maybe they’re both relying on each other too much, but Mark doesn’t care right now when Donghyuck fits so perfectly in his arms like his.

  
  


.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✫・.・✭・゜・。.

  
  


Lucas hates sneaking around. He’s naturally boisterous and big, voice too loud and limbs too long for him to be any good at stealth missions. Except this isn’t a mission; he’s breaking probably 50 federal laws (he doesn't know, Mark is usually the one reciting them) trying to duplicate and distribute classified documents, and if he’s caught then he won’t see the light of day again. 

His heart is pounding in his chest by the time he reaches Mr. Seo’s office. He really regrets agreeing to do this. What was he thinking? What was Donghyuck thinking?

As he looks over his shoulder again before inserting a USB, he wishes the room wasn’t so open and extravagant.

It really doesn’t get easier no matter how many times he does it, and he can’t help but constantly look back at the door for fear of being seen.

He still remembers the first time he decided to do these Friday night (essentially suicide) raids, a very sickening feeling of wanting to throw up consuming him the entire time. After all, not only was this illegal and very risky, going behind the back of who he was working for went against his morals. But no matter how morally questionable his actions were, he had to see for himself. The questions Donghyuck had raised that day at the coffee shop could not leave his mind, keeping him awake for many nights before he decided that he had to do something about it.

Lucas was a simple person. He worked for NCT because he believed they were doing the right thing, and checking would solve all the questions and secure his loyalties for them.

He still remembers the beating of his heart filling the silence of the room as he read the details of the Code Black incident at NCTU.

_Participant 743 willingly participated in experiment #127 after having been told about the opportunity to receive new abilities due to his loyalty to NCT. Original ability had been rapid reading, 0.8. Although he had not reached the 6.5 level requirements, NCT deemed his ability useful for administrative work and allowed him to work for NCT._

_Participant 743 did not have any past medical history. Besides a slightly faster heart rate, the participant’s vitals had all been as expected up until 8 hours after experimental procedures. He was discharged after the last examination of his vitals and eventually lost control at an estimated 4 hours after release (See Code Black Incident # 23)._

_After being captured alive by agents on the scene, the trial was deemed a failure and the participant was exterminated with medical anesthesia. Post-mortem examination concluded that the DTH neurons had overcompensated, resulting in an overfiring of electrical signals. This likely caused the evident lack of control and eventual loss of lucidity._

_As this was the first case that resulted in such contrasting developments, future testing should be conducted to see whether there is a correlation between success rate and the differences in rank between the donor and recipient._

Lucas wasn’t a life science major, but even if “medical anesthesia” hadn’t set off all the alarms in his head, the word “exterminated” definitely did. They had _killed_ him and covered it up as “natural causes” for the media. His hands shook over the holoscreen, eyes wide from this revelation. Human experimentation wasn’t legal, and the country had a Termination Ethics Act for a reason. And this was experiment number 127… How many other experiments of this sort had NCT conducted? Did Johnny know that this was going on? Had he covered it up on purpose or was someone pulling the strings behind the scenes without Johnny knowing?

Lucas had frantically looked around until he saw a file named “Experiment schedule”, opening it to find the profiles of all the past donors and recipients. The list was long, filled with people working at NCT from small office workers to the deputy chief of staff. This was a huge deal, and it had been completely hidden from public knowledge as well as from agents such as himself.

Lucas hadn’t known what to do. He was a new agent, and if he snitched and Johnny _did_ know about it, he would be done for. And boy was this not what he had wanted to see on the holoscreen, because now he had committed a federal crime _and_ uncovered information that NCT would definitely shut him up for. But he couldn’t just leave after finding this. So without thinking, he slotted a USB he had carried with him, erased all his traces, and ran out.

He had returned to his dorm that night at a complete loss. What could he do? He was only a newly graduated trainee with little to no authority. But then he remembered the reason he had decided to look into the Code Back mission in the first place: to prove Donghyuck wrong.

He gripped the USB in his hand tighter, the gears turning in his head. He couldn’t do much, but maybe _Donghyuck_ could. Donghyuck had been looking for information after all, and he probably hadn’t gotten much useful data from the low security buildings he had been raiding. And now that Lucas knew what NCT was doing, he wanted to help. And so, he gave Donghyuck the first USB attached to a note that had explained his intentions and request during their short exchange. Lucas knew he was risking his life and that he’d never see his parents or his brother again if he was caught. But if anything happened to him, he trusted Donghyuck to look out for Sicheng.

Oh, he remembers how much he wanted to talk to Sicheng again before Donghyuck finally kicked some sense back into him. Lucas had left his family behind when he was 16, being the only one in his family with a decent shot at working at NCT to climb up the social ladder. He chuckles slightly thinking back to how his Dad had thought his mother had had an affair because no one in their family had ever had pyrokinetic abilities, and how it took a genetics test they had saved up for to find out that his mother did not in fact have fidelity issues. 

Anyway, in order to earn money for his family, Lucas left when he was of age without more than a letter, and he never went back. He knew his brother had been studying as an NCT undergrad for Engineering, so when Lucas was given the first and so far only choice at NCT, he had chosen Engineering without hesitation, carrying a sliver of hope that his brother would still be there.

And then Lucas really did see Sicheng the first day at the mentor event, and he’d froze in shock. There was his brother, sitting alone in the corner. He wanted to run up and hug him right then and there, but he couldn’t. Not when Jay was there watching his every move. After all, he had applied with no family history because he had been afraid of how NCT would treat low rankers like them. 

Lucas had seen how his father got passed up multiple times for a job over other people who were slightly higher in ranking, or how the higher levels had treated his family with a slight look of pity whenever they were out in public. It wasn’t obvious enough for them to call out, and besides, who would help them? They’d seem excessive, causing a fuss over the cashier ignoring them to help someone else first, or someone slipping into the line before them while they waited to dine at a restaurant. So when he was accepted into the trainee program bearing this deeply ingrained fear, he left his family contacts empty.

He had vowed that he would become a distinguished agent so that his family could live well. There was the option to bring them to live in the housing that NCT would provide, but he’d much rather have his family live away from the other residents who were most likely higher levels as well.

So Lucas could only watch from afar, following up on Sicheng’s achievements. The only engineering graduate with an honours at NCTU whose level was below a 3 in his graduating year. The only student accepted into the masters program at NCTU with a level below 6 in his entering class. Lucas hated how those were real categories, how his brother’s achievements had been diminished to being his capabilities _despite_ his level, but Lucas had no say, and despite it all he was incredibly proud of what his brother had accomplished.

And Donghyuck, dear Donghyuck. The cause of his current plight. Lucas saw Sicheng walk up from the steps before he saw the metal beam. By the time he had noticed, he was too far away to do anything except watch in horror as the beam determinately tried to destroy Lucas’ chance at meeting his brother again. It wasn’t until the bright blue flash and sudden explosion of energy that he realized he wouldn’t witness his brother’s death and that Donghyuck, using that black board he’d only ever seen Elektōr use, had saved his brother. He realized how much of an idiot he was when he saw Donghyuck carrying that darn skateboard the day Lucas had decided to confront him, because it was the exact same board with wheels and the circuits off. 

But even after realizing Donghyuck’s identity, Lucas still thought of him as a friend. After all, Lucas had interacted with Donghyuck for two months before realizing who he was, and Donghyuck was charming, hilarious, and treated everyone with respect. Lucas had gotten used to interacting with upper levels as a trainee, but Donghyuck was one of the first higher levels he’d interacted with that wasn’t an agent, and he didn’t give pitying looks or backhanded remarks towards lower rankers.

Donghyuck had picked Sicheng, the mentor with the lowest level, as his mentor when he had first pick from the whole first year engineering population, and that in itself said a lot about Donghyuck. Lucas was incredibly thankful for Donghyuck saving his brother during the Code Black, and after reflecting on Elektōr’s actions, he had come to a conclusion that he assumed had been correct given Donghyuck’s reaction at the café (which was proven later when they were at the café a second time). 

He was genuinely worried for his friend when he had given that warning, because he knew Mark was living with the other scholarship student, and that other scholarship student was none other than Donghyuck. But Lucas’ worst fears had come true, and Mark introduced Donghyuck as his boyfriend for the first time soon after.

Lucas still remembers his panic as Mark had recalled the story of how he and Donghyuck had become official, all starry eyed and too distracted to notice Donghyuck giving Lucas a look that told him that he was toast if he gave anything away. It was ironic in a sad way because _he_ was the one with pyrokinetic abilities, but Donghyuck was scary enough that he had indeed kept his mouth shut. But seriously, he had told Donghyuck to be careful of the people around him, and then he turned around and immediately went on a date and got asked out by the exact person Lucas was worried about?

But what was he supposed to say? He had seen the look in Mark’s eyes. Lucas could tell Mark genuinely liked Donghyuck, and Mark wasn’t the type to take his feelings lightly. Mark was always driven, not caring about anything besides graduating as an accomplished trainee. Lucas had never seen Mark this happy, and unless he decided to tell Mark about Donghyuck’s identity, he had no valid reason to tell them to break up.

And despite the warning in Donghyuck’s eyes throughout their “initial” meeting, Lucas could see the same look of affection from him, and Donghyuck was his friend too. They looked so happy together, and he couldn’t break government protocol and tell Donghyuck who Mark was. Either way, they’d never forgive him, and to be honest, they’d probably never forgive each other if they found out.

Mark was stubborn, uptight, and kept by the law while Donghyuck did things his own way (in an equally stubborn manner)— the clash in their views would ruin them. However, now that Lucas thought about it, their end goals were the same; they just wanted to protect their people, their country.

If only Mark could see past his beliefs and faith in NCT to realize what the agency was _really_ doing. The two of them seriously gave him a massive headache, Lucas thinks as he feels the onset of a real headache starting to come in. When Donghyuck had apologized he didn’t think he was going to have _this much_ extra work. He had already told him to tone down the frequency of his heists, but Donghyuck clearly only had one goal in mind.

Maybe he should ask him again so they could both catch a break. After all, Donghyuck had had that awful encounter yesterday where he almost got arrested. Xuxi had warned him after the meeting with Sicheng that Donghyuck was running on fumes. He was emotionally and physically stretching himself to the limits, and he had almost paid for it with the worst consequences. What was up with this awful set up anyways? Mark unknowingly arresting his boyfriend? Was this some sort of terribly cliché romance story?

He rubs his eyes, focusing on the task at hand. The USB should finish downloading the files soon, and then he can deliver this to Donghyuck on Wednesday. Maybe he could even quickly skim over the contents of the USB. That would answer whether Johnny was indeed in charge of all this, and Johnny could instantly shut down the happenings if he had indeed been blindsided by some crazy lunatic scientist. 

He quickly opens up the experiments folder, clicking the first document. It’s labeled “Patient 000”, and the pages load one by one. It’s hundreds and hundreds of pages that he won’t have time to read, but he can still quickly glance over the first page.

He scrolls back up to the top, eyes hastily going between the lines for any detail he may want to focus on. There’s a photo, a young boy in his teen years. The boys’ eyes haunt him, looking back with a startling naiveté yet communicating years of experience Lucas doesn’t know of.

He continues skimming the words, eyes widening as the details start to sink in. This was absolutely insane. This was completely unheard of, and the rest of the world would turn their backs on Korea if they found out what they were doing. If this was revealed, Mr. Seo would be done for, regardless of whether he knew or not. Well, Lucas thinks darkly, he’s reading this from his holoscreen setup, so Mr. Seo can’t deny his involvement anymore.

Lucas rereads the first few lines again in disbelief as his vision blurs slightly from how rushed he is running through the lines of text.

He rubs his eyes again, eyes unfocusing and making it harder to read the words. _Do I need glasses?_ He thinks hazily. 

“You have a lot of questions to answer, Fȳren,” He hears and he immediately whips around to attack. His flames are extinguished immediately like a snap of a whip and he can’t reignite it no matter how hard he tries. But his hand is already moving forward, so he watches in dismay as his hand swings the remaining distance bare and without the flames he prides himself in.

Mr. Seo catches his fist easily in his hand, and then he feels the light-headedness set in. He realizes he fucked up even amongst his quickly diminishing awareness, legs suddenly giving away as he realizes he can’t breathe.

His vision starts to darken, and the last thing he sees is the white glow of Johnny’s eyes amidst the haze.

He really isn’t fit for stealth after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we're not seeing Lucas anytime soon 😣
> 
> Also, I'm a little hesitant on this, but there might be a chance that I don't manage to finish writing the chapters and the update schedule catches up - would you rather I update every 3 weeks instead or just keep up the pace and then stop until I finish writing if it does happen? I wrote the last few chapters way too slowly and I need to study for the MCAT :| (Also I realized chapter 11 maybe also need a split again oml)  
> Update: Thank you to all the kind and encouraging comments telling me not to rush ; ; I will come out of my study hell hole and post the next chapter a month from this one, I think you'll like it and there's a lot :]
> 
> Please leave your thoughts on the story so far if you want to! I love seeing your speculations and comments!
> 
> Next chapter: The date!
> 
> [my twt](https://twitter.com/2amcoffeerants) | [my cc](https://curiouscat.me/2amcoffeerants)


	8. Elektōr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lee Donghyuck: Distressed boyfriend on a date. Currently: Trying to feel okay again (Mark makes it easier).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I was gone I hit 100 kudos! It's not too important (comments are much lovelier interactions imo <3) but 100 is still a nice number and a good milestone I guess 😂 So thank you to the 100 people who have read at least part of my fic and thought it warranted a kudos, I appreciate every one of you ^^
> 
> Also: I've removed the number of chapters for now, I'm still pretty sure it's going to be 15 but I feel bad for constantly changing it so until I've written everything I'll leave it as "?" for now ;-; I've learnt my lesson that fics always end up longer than planned...

### Donghyuck, Injun, Jaemin, and Dongyoung (part 2)

**Kim Dongyoung**

Ability: My brain and intellect

Level: It’s whatever I want it to be goddammit

Role: I design and create gadgets for the rest of the team to use. Donghyuck has notified me that NCT has started creating gadgets based on my technology...

Additional information: I applied to work at NCT but they rejected me, so now they’re missing out (shrugs)

**Na Jaemin/ Plectō**

Ability: Ability replication (Manipulation)

Level: I haven’t been able to check officially since I was 15, Dongyoung thinks it’s a 7.8?

Role: ~~Cause mayhem during missions~~ Information broker 2

Additional information: I was the one who made the cool names that Hyuck, Injun, and I have :] I also cook in this household, where would Injun be without me ~

**Huang Injun/ Portāriō (he hasn’t needed to go on missions yet so we haven’t called him that** • **JM)**

Ability: Portal Formation (Manipulation)

Level: I refuse to have a number define me. (It’s probably around a 7.2 • DY)

Role: Oversees missions to ensure the two idiots don’t do something stupid

Additional information: Anyone who doesn’t listen to me during missions is gonna get their ass whooped

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


“Jaemin, I’m so sorry,” Donghyuck apologizes as he helps his friend cool down by patting his forehead gently with a damp towel. “This is probably my fault.”

“Hyuck, I wasn’t going to let you go to all those extra raids alone,” Jaemin replies drowsily, eyes almost completely closed as he rests comfortably on his bed in their base.

Donghyuck still feels incredibly guilty.

After the stunts he pulled last month, Jaemin has been sick with a fever, his body no longer able to keep up with Donghyuck’s.

It isn’t to say that Donghyuck isn’t tired, because he is. Jaemin couldn’t go to school because he was on NCT’s target list alongside Injun and therefore was stuck in their base, but Donghyuck had school, midterms, the lab, engineering projects… He also lost sleep over the missions, but it was mostly the immense guilt and regret that kept him up at night. 

“Hyuck,” Jaemin swallows, brows furrowed. “As long as you don’t do it again.”

“I won’t.” Donghyuck closes his eyes before returning to wiping Jaemin’s face with a towel, both of them silent. Of course he had the right to feel for his brother’s death, but he shouldn’t have let his anger overrun his life. He had turned into the very being he had despised, and resorted to violence because he had the ability to do so.

Jaemin interrupts the silence with a coughing fit, and Donghyuck quickly brings a cup of water from beside his bed to Jaemin’s lips as he gently props himself up on the bed.

Injun enters the room as Jaemin’s coughing fit begins to ease, sitting down on the other side of Jaemin’s bed opposite Donghyuck.

“Did you find Chenle?” Donghyuck asks.

“No, since Nana overworked himself following you,” Injun glares at Donghyuck with no real heat, more a tired resignation, “he hasn’t had a chance to try the tracking ability he got from Boss.”

Donghyuck still can't take that nickname seriously. But Boss has a reputation to uphold in the underground market— he can't have people finding out about his weaknesses when he has a monopoly on the Underground information sector. Donghyuck will have to keep the little secrets he knows about Boss like how he used to cry watching teen movies to himself. But that’s how Donghyuck can extort favours like finding a tracking ability for Jaemin this quickly because he has blackmail material. Boss of all people would know how valuable information is after all.

“I can still try,” Jaemin offers weakly as he brings Donghyuck back to the present. Right, they were talking about Jaemin with his new tracking ability.

“Do it after you get better,” Injun crosses his arms before adding. “Don’t be sneaky and hack into my monitors for his photo, or I’m going to send you somewhere far away with nothing but the skin on your back.”

Jaemin pouts. “You know me too well,” he says and adds an indignant huff at the end for dramatic effect.

The three of them then enter a comfortable silence until Injun looks at the time.

“Hyuck, don’t you want to get ready for your date? You’ve been here for an hour, you need to make sure your Mark doesn’t wake up and find you missing,”

Donghyuck comes out of his daze, not having realized how much time had passed.

“Ah, thanks for reminding me,” Donghyuck stands up from his chair, swiping imaginary dust from his knees.

“Before you leave,” Jaemin grins, returning Donghyuck’s wallet that Donghyuck hadn’t realized he had taken from him. “You and your boyfriend look cute, by the way.”

Donghyuck flushes pink almost instantaneously (darn him and his reactions, he needs his _mask_ ), quickly slipping his wallet back into his pocket. In the wallet’s pocket is a photo of him and Mark cuddling on the sofa in their dorm, Donghyuck’s face smushed into Mark’s sweater. He hadn’t wanted to show Jaemin (he’s embarrassed at how weak he is for Mark Lee okay?) which was probably why he had resorted to stealing his wallet.

“Bye Jaem, I’ll come back soon,” Donghyuck, still red, avoids mentioning the photo as he heads out of the room with Injun behind him.

He enters into the main area of the base to find Dongyoung lounging on the couch behind the monitors Injun uses during the raids, scrolling through his holoscreen. He's just relaxing in the base as if it was his house. Well, with how much Dongyoung stays in the base, it probably is more like home than his actual apartment.

“Dongyoung,” Donghyuck greets. Dongyoung responds lazily with a grunt, not even bothering to look at Donghyuck. Donghyuck pouts and decides he needs more attention than that.

“Dongyoung,” Donghyuck repeats with a huff as he launches himself for a hug, almost flattening Dongyoung on the couch. “Aren’t you happy to see me with a boyfriend and going on a date? I’m doing normal people things!”

Dongyoung splutters, trying to get Donghyuck off him. “Yes I am, now let me go!” He shakes Donghyuck’s arms until he releases him.

“I’m just glad you’re more like your normal self. Have fun kid,” Dongyoung adds a little later after successfully getting out of Donghyuck’s almost-but-accidental-choke hold.

“I promise I’ll get back to working diligently on being a nuisance to NCT after today,” Donghyuck replies, only half joking.

He turns back to Injun who’s been observing this spectacle amusedly from his seat in front of the monitors. “One day you and Jaemin will be able to leave the base without a target on your back,” Donghyuck affirms solemnly.

Injun returns a grim smile, his silhouette backlit by the many screens running who knows what and then swivels his chair so he’s facing the monitors again.

“Have fun, alright? You know you’ve been pushing yourself lately. Don’t fall sick like Jaemin.” Injun says without looking up while seemingly working on something on the holoscreen setup.

 _We’re worried about you,_ Donghyuck can hear the words Injun left unsaid echoing across the room as if Injun had really said it out loud.

Injun finishes typing with an assertive last tap of the screen and then immediately opens a portal with a flick of his wrist.

“Okay, we’re tired of you, go now.” Injun huffs as he waves his hand dismissively, and Donghyuck grins. Injun just can't admit he cares for him. 

“Love you too,” Donghyuck replies without a beat to spare. He steps straight into the portal and right into his bedroom.

The gentle sunlight peeps through his blinds, and Donghyuck gently shakes himself so he’s more alert. The past incidents should stay in the past, and he reaches for the door leading to the living room. He takes a deep breath, exhaling his sorrows. He’s one step towards feeling okay again, to not have his sorrows and angers clutch at him refusing to let go. Now that he’s starting to revert back to normal life, he should enjoy it.

And with that, he opens the door to a sleepy Mark with messy hair and half-lidded eyes.

“Morning,” Donghyuck says softly as he envelops his arms around Mark’s waist and gives him a good morning kiss on the cheek while Mark in turn plants a soft kiss on his forehead.

Maybe normal will come quicker than he thought.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


“Mark!” Donghyuck laughs as he runs back towards his boyfriend at full speed carrying a bag of popcorn and a drink in each hand. It’s mid afternoon, and the swarm of activities in the amusement park is in full swing.

“Hyuck,” Mark replies, catching him as the momentum swings them both around. “What do you want to do now?” Mark adds as Donghyuck intertwines his fingers around his.

“Mm, can we go on a rollercoaster?” Donghyuck points at the ride he’s been eying the whole day, the one where adrenaline-filled screams can be heard from where they’re standing.

Mark bites his lip. “We just got popcorn though, are you sure eating right before is going to be a good idea?”

“How about we finish our popcorn and then start lining up? I’m sure we’ll have finished and digested the food by then!” Donghyuck pulls Mark gently along as they continue towards the direction of the rollercoaster.

They end up walking around the amusement park finishing up their snacks and drinks, hands linked together as they talk about everything except school. Donghyuck misses this, and he almost manages to forget about all the sources of his stress.

It’s been a while since he’s felt this light and carefree.

Eventually they finish their snacks and drinks, and Donghyuck skips excitedly towards the queue, his back facing the direction they’re heading so he can admire Mark in his entirety. He’s so lucky to have Mark who was here to support him quietly even if Donghyuck hadn’t told him what was wrong. He knows Mark is stressed too, knows he has his own worries that keep him up at night, and he wishes Mark would let Donghyuck comfort him as well.

And slightly off topic, but _damn_ does Mark look good today. He’s wearing a loose fitted shirt and jeans combo and he’s abandoned his usual glasses in favor of contacts. Mark always looked exceptionally adorable with the round glasses, but now that Donghyuck gets to look at Mark clearly without them, he realizes that the glasses actually makes Mark’s eyes look not as round as they really are.

Without the glasses, Donghyuck can see the details of Mark’s eyes (and face) more clearly, and he honestly can’t decide if he likes cute-nerdy-round-glasses Mark or doe-eyed-contact-lenses Mark more. He’s too busy debating the pros and cons of both to notice the sudden downward slope on the path behind him.

Donghyuck doesn’t expect the big dip in his step and panics as he overcompensates, losing his balance.

“Hyuck!” He can see the panic in Mark’s eyes as he starts falling.

 _That’s it, I’m going to hit my head and die a horrific death on my first real date,_ flashes across Donghyuck’s mind as his vision is a whirlwind blur and he closes his eyes in anticipation of the pain.

Except it never comes, and Donghyuck gingerly opens his eyes to see himself wrapped up in Mark’s arms, his weight entirely on top of Mark. He widens his eyes in panic, immediately scrambling back onto his own feet because if he’s on top of Mark that means he must be hurting him—

“Oh my gosh, Mark, are you okay? I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to trip an—”

Mark groans as Donghyuck quickly pulls him off the ground as well. “I’m all good, that looked like a hard fall but I think I hit the ground correctly,” Mark smiles awkwardly, a hand on the back of his neck, and Donghyuck knows that must not be true. How does someone hit the ground correctly?

He ignores Mark’s claims that he’s uninjured and fusses over him, looking all over to make sure there are no scratches, or potential injuries.

“Come on Hyuckie, you know I can just heal myself right now if I’m injured. But I’m fine—”

“Nuh-uh, I’m giving you a once over again. You could have internal injuries and by the time you notice it’ll be too late. What if you got another concussion? What if you accidentally squished an artery too hard?”

“Hyuck,” Mark stops Donghyuck’s panic by placing both his hands on Donghyuck’s cheeks. “I really am fine. I’ll let you know first thing if I feel that anything is off, okay?”

Donghyuck stills, flushing red as he realizes how close Mark’s face is to his.

“O-okay,” He manages to stutter out eventually, mind all muddled with one look.

“I’ll just quickly head off to the washroom and double check on myself yeah?” Mark leads a still dazed Donghyuck to sit down on a nearby bench and then runs towards the washroom nearby.

Donghyuck gulps, pressing the back of his hands against his warm cheeks. He can’t believe how flustered he gets with Mark around. Mark literally gave him one look and he stopped functioning.

 _Donghyuck, get your act together—_ _Be charming and funny like you usually are!_

He’s about to slap his cheeks to give himself a little boost of morale when Mark walks out. Donghyuck brings out the biggest smile he can muster, holding onto Mark’s hand once again.

“Nothing wrong?” He asks, still feeling remorseful for the episode he caused.

“Nope, everything is good. To be fair, I expected something like this to happen a little earlier,” Mark grins, wrapping his arms protectively around Donghyuck’s waist and Donghyuck’s brain immediately shuts down before he can think of an intelligible answer. He only pouts in response, and Mark laughs, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Did he jinx himself by calling himself clumsy all the time as an excuse in front of Mark?

They soon reach the entrance to the queue of the rollercoaster, and Donghyuck looks towards Mark and notices the slight hesitation in Mark’s eyes. But before he can comment on it, Mark smiles a little bigger and brings him along towards the entrance of the queue.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


The reason for Mark’s hesitation is quickly answered after the coaster leaves the platform.

“I’m actually afraid of heights,” Mark admits with what sounds like regret as they start the slow descent up.

Donghyuck turns his head around quickly, panic probably evident in his eyes. Why didn’t Mark tell him beforehand?

“Actually no, not heights. I think it’s just the fear of falling without having any control whatsoever,” Mark starts rambling, and Donghyuck lets him.

“Mark, we didn’t have to go if you were afraid,” Donghyuck replies worriedly, reaching for Mark’s hand to hopefully ease some of his fear.

“You wanted to go, and I wanted you to have as much fun as you wanted. It’s okay, it’ll be over in a minute,” Mark smiles shakily.

They’re slowing down near the peak and Donghyuck watches Mark, whose eyes are wide with fear. Donghyuck can feel the adrenaline and his heart is beating loud in his ears. He’s preparing himself for the fall, when Mark squeezes his hands a little tighter around his, eyes closed, a pout on his face, and brows knitted tightly together.

The rollercoaster dips right after, falling at an increasing speed. Donghyuck yells in excitement, vaguely noticing the wild screaming beside him as the rails speed past his vision.

His bones are being crushed in his right hand, but he doesn’t mind. As he manages to pull his eyes away from the rails to watch Mark, he can see the fear in his eyes, a terrified expression Donghyuck would probably think was extremely hilarious (maybe even unsightly) if he wasn’t in love with him. Instead, his wide eyes, flushed face and screaming reminds him of a surprised cheetah, and he looks very cute.

Donghyuck remembers reading a study about how people misattribute heightened emotions such as adrenaline and fear with attraction, but Donghyuck can’t help but think that the feeling of wanting to be with Mark forever right in this moment isn’t just because of the adrenaline rushing through his blood. But that thought leaves as quickly as it comes as the rollercoaster speeds along the remaining length of the track, the circulation in his hand blocked but his heart racing.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


Despite Donghyuck’s previous epiphanies about Mark on the rollercoaster, he can’t stop laughing when their photo on the rollercoaster appears on the screen.

“You— look like, you’re about to— poop your pants!” Donghyuck says between a mixture of loud laughter and much needed breaths. This time it’s Mark’s turn to pout, shaking Donghyuck slightly so he can hopefully not embarrass him so loudly as Donghyuck trudges slowly towards the photo booth counter.

“Hyuck-ah,” Mark pleads, his entire face red like a tomato, “please don’t buy the photo.”

Donghyuck pauses, turning back to look at his boyfriend. “I won’t buy it if you don’t want me to,” he replies honestly. He doesn’t mean to let the disappointment show on his face, but he can’t help it. After all, when would he get another opportunity to have an ugly photo of Mark on a rollercoaster again?

Mark’s insistence wanes, and he eventually breaks into a small awkward smile. “You can buy it if you promise not to show anyone,” he replies in defeat.

“Yay! You’re the best!” Donghyuck hugs him, planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

Donghyuck eventually gets two copies of the photo, both in the form of keychains, as he keeps one for himself and gives one to Mark despite his light-hearted grumbling.

  
  


ʕ•̀ᴥ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


Donghyuck doesn’t think he’s been this happy in months. 

People said sadness and mourning came in waves, but Donghyuck had felt that it was more like being underwater, like he was drowning but he didn’t have the instinctive response to struggle for air, to rise up to breathe. He knew he had to, but he just didn’t feel the need to. He hadn’t felt the need to do anything.

That had been how most of his days felt like, barring the exceptionally bad days when he would feel a constant sense of anguish he just couldn’t quell. The best way he could describe it would be like that short moment of panic when he had leaned too far back on a chair and thought he was going to fall, except he doesn’t ever catch himself, and the moment of panic lasts for hours, for days. 

And then the rush of anger enters his lungs, forcing him to do something, _anything_ , to fix it. It was a blur of resentment, sadness, and heartbreak, and his friends and Mark saw the ugliness of it all. It wasn’t too difficult to hide from his friends. But Mark lived with him, witnessed him in his weakest moments. Despite everything, Mark had patiently waited for him, stood by him, promising him that it would get better until he was ready to come out of the miserable abyss he had locked himself into.

Donghyuck wasn’t some damsel in distress waiting for Mark to pick up the pieces. But if Mark hadn’t been by his side, the process would have certainly taken longer, and would have been even more taxing on his well being.

Something died in him that day, and he would never find it again. But because of his brother’s death, he had met Dongyoung, Injun, Jaemin, Sicheng, Xuxi, and Mark, who all helped him become who he was today. He will never be able to find a replacement for his brother, but the people he had met because of his brother’s death have become irreplaceable parts of his life.

“Hyuck,” Mark, who had been sitting silently opposite him so far on the ferris wheel, suddenly says as he reaches for Donghyuck’s hand.

“Mmhm,” Donghyuck replies as Mark stands up to sit next to him, the cart shaking slightly. Or maybe it’s Donghyuck that’s shaking.

“I had a lot of fun today and I really hope you did too,” Mark says softly, the playful jingle of the amusement park music no longer as loud due to the distance they were putting between the ground.

“I did,” Donghyuck replies, and it was completely true. “Thank you, Mark. I haven’t had this much fun or felt this happy in a long time.” And Mark’s signature smile that makes Donghyuck all soft on the inside lights up the passenger car, eyes twinkling with happiness.

“Seriously. I’m sorry I’ve not been in a good mood recently. Things have been—” Donghyuck swallows the lump down his throat. “—rocky in my family life.”

Mark’s eyes are warm and understanding as he caresses the top of Donghyuck’s hand with his thumb.

“I know I haven’t talked much about my family,” Donghyuck continues, mesmerized by how pretty Mark looks with the soft amusement park lights shining in his irises. “I’m not comfortable with doing that yet, but I promise you that I’ll tell you when I am.” He owes Mark at least this much.

“It’s okay, Hyuck. I know how hard it has been for you recently. I’m just glad you’re more like your usual self again,” And Donghyuck returns with a wide grin to further prove Mark’s point which Mark mirrors.

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” Donghyuck replies with a pout. “I’m so glad to have you in my life, Mark.”

“You always worry me,” and then Mark leans in to kiss his pout away.

Mark pulls away after a short peck on the lips, but only just. Even after all this time, kissing Mark makes Donghyuck’s heart flutter, his face flush. And now they are kissing at the top of the ferris wheel. Everything in his life is seriously a cliché, Donghyuck thinks as his eyes start to flutter shut and Mark leans in slowly.

But then Mark’s watch decides that it's tired of third wheeling and starts obnoxiously ringing. Donghyuck jumps a little at the sound and sighs internally when Mark’s expression explains everything he needs to know.

He’s seriously starting to wonder if Yuta is actually a douchebag, taking advantage of how hardworking Mark is to call him in at the worst times. How many times has Yuta called him to the lab on the weekend, or early in the morning? He understands that they’re university students and they all probably have terrible sleep schedules, but that doesn’t mean Yuta should _expect_ Mark to be awake in the random hours in the morning or be free on the weekends.

He’s just about to ask Mark if he can pretend that the battery on his watch died when he notices the signal changes from his bracelet hidden under the long sleeve shirt he’s wearing today.

_Sorry to intrude on your date, but Jaemin got too excited and decided to try his tracking ability._

_So he found Chenle?_

_Yes, I’ll send him to Antarctica after he gets better. I’ve sent you the location._

_Let him know I will personally bid him farewell for ending my date early._

_Jokes aside, be careful without Jaemin today._

_I’ll try my best._

Donghyuck returns his focus back to Mark who’s now blubbering a bunch of apologies that Donghyuck hadn’t really been listening to.

“It’s okay, Mark. I understand. I actually have to do something as well, so we can just leave together.” He smiles understandingly.

There’s immense relief in Mark’s eyes, and Donghyuck smiles even wider, reaching out to interweave his fingers with Mark’s again as he slowly leans his head on Mark’s shoulder.

The mood is now too somber to resume their kiss, and Donghyuck continues to hold Mark’s hand silently on the way down.

Donghyuck watches Mark from his shoulder, wondering if Mark’s cheeks ache from smiling so much as well. The ache is bittersweet, because he didn’t get to have a dramatic kiss at the top of the ferris wheel. Donghyuck would never admit it, but those clichés were cute, and maybe, _just maybe,_ he had wanted to try it.

Oh well, it’s not like his boyfriend deprives him of kisses and affection anyways, so he can always just kiss Mark when he returns to the dorm later when the mood is more appropriate.

These thoughts are cut off when they reach ground level again, and the amusement park workers open the door to let them out. Mark is still holding his hand, urgently walking towards the exit of the amusement park as Donghyuck follows. Thankfully, the ferris wheel is near the entrance so they reach the exit in less than 5 minutes.

Mark still refuses to let go of his hand even when they have to leave the amusement park one by one through the gate, and Donghyuck shyly ducks his head as the amusement park workers smile, all knowing. 

Donghyuck doesn’t know where Mark needs to go, and he’s just about to ask when Mark holds the back of his head and gives him a soft kiss on the forehead.

“I’ll see you soon,” Mark whispers, and then he runs off, the warmth in Donghyuck’s fingertips slowly replaced with the bitter winter cold.

It should be like any other goodbye kiss, but Donghyuck’s senses are tingling, and he can’t help but watch Mark leave with an impending sense of dread even if he doesn’t know why.

  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


_Me and my terrible luck with timing,_ Mark shakes his head as he runs towards the address provided on his watch. However, he can’t really blame anyone but himself this time. After last Friday’s incident, Mark had decided to personally inquire and take charge of finding all the children from the list that Elektōr had copied. After all, it didn’t sit right with Mark that Elektōr was insinuating NCT was doing illegal business behind the public eye. He had voluntarily decided to take up this extra job to confirm (to ease the nagging feeling weighing on his chest), so he can’t really blame Elektōr or a Code Black this time. 

He just hadn’t expected Chenle to be found so soon after he had inquired. Oh well— Chenle needs help, and Mark will be able to provide it. After he brings Chenle to NCT, he can make sure the boy learns to control his abilities properly and maybe even inspire him to become an agent one day.

Lucas will probably be willing to help, since it _is_ the weekend. He probably isn’t doing anything anyways. So Mark taps on his watch, waiting.

There’s no response.

 _Is he taking a nap?_ Mark wonders. With another attempt at calling Lucas returning with the same radio silence, he can only continue the mission solo.

As he turns into a darker corner and changes into his suit, he rises up into the air to save his physical stamina and have a clearer view of his destination. He wonders if Elektōr will be there too, since he also seemed to be interested in the kids on the list. Mark prays internally that he isn’t— Elektōr’s constant insults will make his job that much harder.

 _Or,_ Mark thinks with a smirk, _his bad manners might make it easier to get Chenle to come with Mark instead._

He arrives at the location to find a construction site for a half demolished skyscraper. It’s abandoned, the insides of some of the floors visible, all dusty and grey. It seems dangerous, and nothing like where a 16 year old should be.

He lands softly on what looks to be the front of the building, and dust kicks off the floor. It’s eerily quiet, and the open concept of the ground floor and half demolished pieces make every one of Mark’s footsteps echo more than it should.

He continues taking cautious steps, climbing up flights of stairs to reach the upper floors. Without the windows flushed out like the lower floor, the rooms are cramped, almost suffocating. Mark almost feels claustrophobic, breathing in the debris. He’s just about to give up on this floor and climb up another flight when a flash of black hair enters his vision. He turns around, ready to attack until he recognizes the boy’s face. No bright smile like in the photo, but the boy nonetheless.

“Don’t move,” The boy states firmly with his palm pressed against Mark’s neck. Mark doesn’t know if he wants to find out what Chenle can do to his neck, so he proceeds cautiously.

“Chenle— I’m an agent from NCT, Môlos. We were worried sick looking for you.”

Chenle’s eyes flicker down to the badge on Mark’s left arm and then frowns, the hand resting against Mark’s neck faltering slightly. “No one is looking for me.”

Mark’s heart breaks in two even without knowing the context. “I was.”

Chenle’s eyes flit back and forth, hesitation obvious in his eyes, and Mark sees many opportunities to take the boy down. Instead, he slowly releases his offensive stance and smiles with as little trace of fear as possible. “Do you want to talk about it? I’m happy to sit down somewhere and listen.”

Chenle wavers, but not enough for Mark to let his defense down. They’re watching each other, the air heavy and thick (or was it just the amount of dust in the air?), and Mark is just about to give up doing this the gentle way when Chenle recedes and he lets the tension roll off his muscles.

Chenle drops his hand, eyes telling stories of pain and betrayal as he nods slowly and gestures at a nearby piece of rock that might’ve fallen from the ceiling. Mark follows him, gingerly sitting down on the slab as he waits for him to speak.

“My parents kicked me out when I was 14 because I wasn’t showing any abilities. They— They didn’t want a useless son with no abilities that would tarnish their lineage of earthquake-manipulators.” Chenle pauses, looking like he’s reliving those moments again. “But then my abilities finally started showing a year after, and I was so _happy._ I thought my parents would finally love me, and that I could finally go back home. And my parents did want me, for a little bit. We had dinner at home together, went shopping together like we used to.”

Chenle’s hands that were originally resting on his thighs close into fists, hands shaking. “But turns out they were just waiting for my ability evaluations when I turned 16, and just wanted to send me off to train as an agent.”

“But I didn’t want to be away from my parents, I wanted to be with them forever. But they just wanted their son to work in NCT so they could show me off like some trophy and improve their social status.”

Chenle takes a deep breath, and Mark can’t help but commend the boy for his emotional strength. Mark had cried from similar circumstances before, yet this boy remained stoic, keeping his emotions at bay.

“I just wanted my parents to love me, but in the end, they didn’t want me for me. So I ran away for good.”

Mark wants to hug this kid. Nobody deserves to feel unloved and betrayed by people who they thought loved and cared about you.

“Chenle— Nobody deserves parents like that, your parents lost such a bright and loving child. But you deserve so much more, and I can give you that. NCT is my family, we take care of each other, we all treat each other like our real siblings.” He watches tenderly at Chenle whose eyes haven’t left his hands. “I’m sure they’d be very happy to have a little brother like you join our family. You don’t have to become an agent if you want. Many kids live with us around your age.”

Chenle finally looks up, eyes wide with the first glimpses of childlike innocence that Mark has seen in the boy today. “Do you really mean it?”

Mark smiles, happy he’s making progress. “Of course!” He stands up, offering Chenle a hand to help pull him up from the boulder. Chenle watches him for a second, then takes his hand, smiling.

This is the first success in Mark’s career as an agent, and he can’t help but smile, reassured that he had made the right choice in becoming an agent. He had just helped a child live his best life at NCT, to have the best opportunities to be the person he could become. This was why he became an agent.

He’s just about to activate his abilities so he can fly the both of them to NCT headquarters when the sound of footfalls echo behind him.

“If you want what’s good for the kid, you’ll let him come with me,” Elektōr’s voice booms across the large open area as the portal behind him closes.

Mark has definitely been classically conditioned to Elektōr’s presence. Even just hearing his voice makes his mood sour, makes his blood boil.

“Seriously, Lee— the kid’s going to die if you bring him with you, you don’t understand what you’re dragging him into.” Chenle looks frantically at Mark for explanation, and Mark closes one of his fists to try and contain his anger.

“Chenle-yah, do you remember the Code Blacks recently? Those were all people who gained new abilities from prisoners NCT had taken in. They’re going to put you in their experiments, take away your ability, and leave you to _die_.” Chenle immediately steps away from Mark like he’d been burned. “So Chenle, please, trust me and I’ll bring you somewhere safe where NCT won’t be able to hurt you,” Elektōr takes one step towards Chenle, almost pleading.

“Stop telling him lies!” Mark yells, no longer able to curb his frustration. Elektōr had just ruined his progress with tales Mark has never heard about that were clearly bogus. He immediately turns towards Chenle, trying to quell the anger in his eyes so as not to scare the kid further. “Chenle, don’t listen to him. He’s a criminal I’ve been trying to arrest for months.”

“Môlos, please,” Elektōr turns back to Mark. “I know you would usually never let yourself believe a lowly criminal, but just this once, please believe me.”

Mark is furious. He had once thought that Elektōr felt at least some shred of responsibility when he had shown up to help for a Code Black. Mark fought with him, yes, but it was never to the point where he thought him and his partner were ever in serious danger. Did Elektōr genuinely think he was going to believe his tricks again after he had tricked him into believing he was showing weakness only to get almost electrocuted? Elektōr was a good actor, that was for sure. But Mark isn’t going to believe any of it anymore.

“I don’t, and will _never_ , believe you,” Mark seethes, and the light in Elektōr’s eyes disappears.

“If this is your decision, then I guess we’ll have to solve it the way we normally do,” Elektōr replies coldly, body tense, ready to attack.

Elektōr lunges first, and Mark, for the first time, feels the vicious intent emanating from Elektōr to win.

This is the first time they’ve had a serious fight where they have to keep going until someone is permanently down, Mark realizes. Elektōr can’t just escape this time; he has to defeat Mark if he wants to come out victorious with Chenle.

Chenle is silently watching, eyes flickering between Mark and Elektōr, unsure who to believe.

“Just because you have good intentions doesn’t mean other people in NCT do!” Elektōr shouts amongst their flying fists as their bodies fluidly avoid each other’s attacks.

Somewhere along the way, Mark has started recognizing Elektōr’s habits, and Elektōr with him. With each encounter, they inch closer towards each other, a little faster, a little more precise. It is almost like a dance, a beautiful battleground, synchrony found amidst the disarray.

“I trained with my friends and seniors, and I _know_ they all want the best for this country.” Mark whips his shoulder around to elbow the criminal, and Elektōr ducks fluidly.

“Can you say that for every single member of the government? Even one rotten apple ruins the bunch—”

“Johnny is not dumb enough to let evil criminals take over his organization and hard work! I trust him and his decisions!”

“Did you hear anything that I just said to Chenle? There are illegal experiments going on in NCT, and they’re causing all these Code Blacks. Can’t you see the higher ups are using you and your friends to clean up their dirty work?”

“You are making up conspiracy theories and spreading your lies. You just scared Chenle away from his safe place! I was going to bring him in and take care of him! What is he going to do with you? Hide away with your overseer in some hidden base forev—”

“STOP!” An explosion of energy pulsates throughout the building, and Mark is shocked to a stop as he feels the energy pass through his body, the building shaking to the core.

_Chenle._

He turns back to see the boy in the brink of what looks like a panic attack, breaths catching. 

Mark doesn’t have time to think about the consequences of the blasts as Chenle crumples to the floor right then and there.

Elektōr catches Chenle’s fall, but then the building starts rumbling once more, louder than the first time.

Mark looks at Elektōr in a panic. They are about seven floors up with at least 40 floors above them.

He doesn’t have time to fly out the way he came in, and breaking out from the wall will only make the building crumble faster. There’s no way he can keep all of the 40 floors of debris away from their heads, and they’re running out of time.

A portal opens, and Mark realizes with dread that he’s the only one who’s going to be left in this situation.

“Wait, not the base—” Elektōr stammers out, but Mark doesn’t have the time to think about what that means.

Chenle will be safe with Elektōr and their portal, Mark decides grimly. He’ll have to give up on bringing him to NCT, but at least he’ll be _alive_. He unfortunately can’t say the same for himself. He diverts a large piece of concrete that almost falls on him, but the falling pieces are increasing in size and number, and he knows when the whole building collapses in one go that he won’t be able to keep it up.

“You know how to form ionized gas right?” Elektōr shouts amongst the increasingly loud thundering as Mark starts to think he’s really going to die in this hell hole of dust and concrete. The portal is gone, but Elektōr is still here.

“What?”

Elektōr shakes his head in frustration as he pushes Chenle into his hold. “I don’t have time to explain, just freaking trust me or we die!”

The urgency in Elektōr’s voice shocks Mark into action, and the explosive amount of heat that forms from the gas almost chokes him. 

“Grab onto me!” Elektōr yells just as the ceiling above them breaks completely.

 _We’re definitely going to die,_ Mark thinks as he lunges at Elektōr while everything comes crashing down.

There’s a deafening amount of noise from the concrete and rubble and glass pummeling down towards the ground at rapid speed, but he isn’t crushed. He is, however, falling.

He instinctively keeps himself afloat, realizing how he’s connected to two other bodies of weight when the said weights drag below him until he keeps them afloat as well. 

There’s some sort of almost-translucent bubble around the three of them, seemingly held up by Elektōr’s two hands. He can barely see outside the bubble with the air clouded with dust (is it… a forcefield?) except for when large pieces make direct contact with the bubble, in which it breaks apart instantly. 

Mark slowly descends, landing softly in a surprisingly controlled manner considering how shaky he feels. He thinks he’s on the ground floor, but the thundering continues and he can’t see a thing outside their bubble. He should try to fly them out of the building, but he doesn’t know which way is out when all he sees is grey, the cacophonic sounds of collapsing concrete grating his ears and sense of direction.

He lays Chenle gently on the floor and lets go of Elektōr as the vigilante clenches his teeth, pushing the bubble to make it even wider. Despite knowing how much danger they’re in right now, Mark can’t help but be in awe of it all. 

This— Mark has never seen anything like it before. Elektōr must’ve done something with the gas, but to be able to control the gas and then have the strength to keep up the tons of concrete falling on them— Elektōr was wasting his potential as an information broker.

“Can you at least— help out here?” Elektōr shouts agitatedly above the rumbling, struggling to maintain the size of the force field. Mark is taken out of his astonishment immediately, his eyes glowing green as he moves any large boulders pressed on top of the force field away to alleviate some of the weight.

He doesn’t know how long they keep this up. It might’ve only been about a few minutes before the grey clouds and slabs of concrete above him is eventually replaced with a clear view of the sky. Mark counts to 60 in his head like he remembers he’d done in those earthquake drills once the thundering stops, the only noise he can discern being Elektōr trying to catch his breath and the occasional tumble of tiny remains of the building sliding down. Elektōr keeps one arm up to maintain the force field as Mark notices the ringing in his ears from the deafening noise he had just been subjected to. Mark is still holding his breath, not daring to move in the slightest in case even an inhale triggers another descent of concrete and rubble.

Did he actually make it out alive?

Finally, Elektōr puts his other arm down and the force field flickers out of existence. Mark immediately turns around and checks on Chenle who is still passed out while the vigilante slowly walks a little further away. Elektōr’s force field hadn’t even let debris in, so the only injuries he sees are minor scuffs from before Chenle’s outburst. He then decides to cuff Chenle with his anti-DTH cuffs (not because he’s a criminal, it’s just to prevent him from doing this a second time if he does wake up).

He really messed this mission up. He doesn’t know how far Chenle’s power expanded, but an earthquake originating from the city center containing a large population like Seoul would be a terrible catastrophe. This was what he meant when kids could cause Code Black levels of catastrophe if uncontained. And now Chenle, in his bout of panic-driven fear, AD-ed as well. He’s wallowing in these thoughts, thinking about the consequences when Elektōr interrupts.

“There aren’t any security cameras here— Don’t you dare pin this on me,” Elektōr breathes out, sounding not as snarky as usual. “I am a mere information broker, and not a demolitionist—”

“Is that supposed to be a reference to the first time we met? Because it really isn't funny right now.” Mark closes the cuff around Chenle’s wrist with a loud click and begins to trudge back towards Elektōr. The criminal is currently leaning against one of the remaining pillars which isn't the best idea considering the rest of the building could fall over anytime soon, so Mark grabs his shoulder and pushes him off. “Plus the term ‘demolitionist’ refers to NPCs in a game and isn’t the right word—” Mark's eyes widen in alarm when Elektōr doesn't catch himself, falling forward onto his knees. Mark's instincts kick in and he rushes over, stopping the rest of Elektōr from face planting onto the floor.

“Hey, Elektōr!” Mark panics, shaking him slightly. 

Elektōr, who had been an unreachable target that Mark couldn’t catch, was now completely still, in his arms and unconscious. He wasn’t waking up no matter how much Mark gently shook him. It was the classic case of AD— Elektōr had used up his stamina all in one go that he had plunged straight into the severe category.

Mark doesn’t have time to think. He immediately lifts off the ground carrying both Chenle and Elektōr. He needs to get everyone far enough from the building as possible to prevent getting hit with another potential round of falling debris.

Mark looks at Elektōr in worry as he flies a little further away to an abandoned construction break room away from the dirt pile of what was originally the half-demolished skyscraper. It was probably the forcefield that had done it— holding up 20 stories worth of cement and concrete isn’t something even Mark thinks he can do. As he lays them both gently on the ground, Mark's thoughts race like the adrenaline still pumping through his veins. None of the simulations in his training involved a criminal saving his life and then AD-ing because of it. Now he had the person he has wanted to bring to justice for _months_ out of commission, right in front of him. He could just arrest him here and that would be it, but this feels _wrong_. He had imagined a fair fight that he’d end up winning, not Elektōr risking his life for his.

A few months ago, he had tried to arrest Elektōr right after the vigilante had tried to help during the two Code Blacks. And after the last run-ins with Elektōr’s recent change in temperament and the antagonistic things he had said just now, Mark should have no qualms about arresting him. But when Elektōr’s accomplice had opened up a portal for him, he had chosen not to leave Mark alone to die.

His hand unconsciously reaches for the extra handcuffs he carries with him as he watches Elektōr.

 _He just saved your life, you jerk,_ a small (but very loud) part of his brain jeers.

Mark knows he’s uptight. He takes pride in not being swayed by his emotions and bias, making strict decisions on what is right and what is wrong. But his brain keeps telling him to give Elektōr a chance. Mark shakes his head in disbelief at his decision. This is the exact argument he shut down during the first Code Black. What had changed? Before he knew it, Elektōr had broken down his walls and all the rules he had sworn to uphold.

Either way, he doesn’t have much time to decide on his next course of action. A 150m skyscraper crumbling into nothing was sure to scare the public. Someone must've notified the authorities by now; he has to decide _now_. Chenle and Elektōr both need emergency care. Chenle can go to NCT’s private hospital, but if he brings Elektōr there he won’t be able to help him anymore. _Damn it,_ Mark thinks as he lifts Chenle off the ground with his ability, eyes green. _Where is Lucas when I need him?_

Fuck it, he thinks. He doesn’t have a choice but to unmask Elektōr and bring him to the hospital in normal clothes and claim he’s an injured passerby. Mark can identify and arrest him later. This all feels wrong, and he can feel the (dare he admit it) guilt boiling in the pit of his stomach, but he bites the bullet and rips off the mask in one swift motion.

  
  


.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✫・.・✭・゜・。.

  
  


_Oh my god Injun, not to the base!_

_What do you mean, not to the base?_ Injun responds back immediately, but there’s no response. 

_Donghyuck?_ Injun tries again, then almost slams his headset onto the desk when there’s no response, gritting his teeth and tugging his hair in frustration as the portal he had opened closes with no Donghyuck in sight. Why didn’t that idiot get in the portal? There’s no time, that building is probably collapsing now, Donghyuck will have to figure something out himself. Donghyuck is smart on his feet and probably had a plan B if he had been willing to stay.

But then Injun notices the bar on his screen. It’s the one constantly monitoring Donghyuck’s stamina from his bracelet, and it’s draining from about 75% to nothing at a rapidly increasing speed.

“Oh my god,” Injun can only say before he swivels his chair around and runs straight to Jaemin’s room, the beeping of the stamina detector steadily increasing in volume.

“Jaemin, you need to help Hyuck,” Injun almost shouts, not caring if Jaemin is fully awake. Jaemin, even half-delirious from fever, understands the severity of the situation from just his tone. He stumbles out of bed, almost falling over. Injun would feel guilty dragging him out for any other circumstance, but there are other priorities right now.

“Wha-?” Jaemin answers in confusion as he tries to get into his suit as quickly as possible.

“His stamina, it’s bad,” Injun answers quickly, but Jaemin knows that from just the alarming volume of the warnings coming from the monitors.

Injun opens up a portal to the outside of what he knows to be the location of the building (or what remains of it, he thinks darkly) just as Jaemin finishes tugging on his suit and Dongyoung enters, panicked.

“Bring him back, please,” Injun makes eye contact with Jaemin, and Jaemin only quickly responds with a slight nod and a grim smile as he enters the portal.

Jaemin rushes out of the portal, trying to blink away his headache. Donghyuck isn’t here, but Jaemin is grateful for how he decided to keep a tracking ability on hand. He can sense Donghyuck a little further away from the building, his tracking senses saying the construction break room. He sprints towards it only to hear Môlos gasp with Donghyuck’s mask in his trembling hands.

“H-hyuck?” He hears from Môlos’ wavering voice, the most weakness he has ever heard from the agent.

He’s too late, Jaemin thinks, to save Donghyuck’s identity. But he runs towards them anyway, to save Donghyuck’s life.

  
  


ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


It takes Mark a second to realize the familiarity of that face, because he’s never seen him this pale, this lifeless before. Elektōr’s usually spiky hair has now fallen back to the soft silky hair that Mark recognizes, that Mark has spent hours brushing his fingers through. He only vaguely realizes he’s watching his best friend, his love of his life, unconscious in his arms.

“H-hyuck?” He stammers, his voice speaking on instinct before his brain can even make the connection. He feels stupid saying that outloud; Mark knows he can’t respond with his big smile, or a kiss on the lips, or anything to let Mark know he’s okay. Why is he here? Is this some cruel joke Elektōr is playing on him? This can’t be Donghyuck— Donghyuck is sweet, loving, and kind, and would never do something like this—

Donghyuck is suddenly gone from his hands in a blur, and he looks up in time to see probably Plectō jumping into a portal carrying Donghyuck in his arms.

“Wait!” Mark lunges forwards to grab on to them, anything, only for the portal to close and for him to slam hard onto the ground.

The impact of his empty hands hitting the floor momentarily stuns him, and he has to stay there for a moment to overcome the shock.

He doesn’t want to move— if he does even slightly the nausea in the pit of his stomach will overwhelm him. He feels like he’s been punched in the gut and wrung out to dry.

He’s still on all fours, his arms shaking as his eyes close. He feels like this situation would call for him to cry, or something. He thinks it would even be _expected_. But he can’t. He’s numb on the inside.

Is this where people should feel heartbroken? Because he doesn’t feel anything, like his heart wasn’t there in the first place. But maybe it’s because Donghyuck had taken it from him long ago.

He looks back down at the hands that had held Elektōr just moments before.

Elektōr’s mask is on the ground, a physical reminder that Mark isn’t imagining this. He had unmasked Elektōr, and it was Donghyuck underneath.

Mark shifts his weight backwards, head pressed against the cold tile floor filled with dust as he sobs quietly. He sobs, but there are still no tears. It's just an ugly sound that comes out of his mouth and he looks absolutely pathetic, curling onto himself like a child.

And then the hurt arrives. It’s a slow burn, like a heat that starts off friendly until it becomes unbearable, until it _scorches_ , charring his insides. It spreads insidiously like smoke circulating through a room until it burns everywhere, holding onto him with a suffocating strength and now he can’t breathe.

He hurts. It hurts everywhere, but the gaping hole where his heart should be hurts the most. It carries a mix of anger and betrayal and spite and _everything_ he never thought he'd feel because of Donghyuck.

“Hyuck-ah,” he asks between gasping breaths. “Why would you do this to me?”

The only reply he gets is the eerie sounds of an ambulance driving by. The city is in ruin, he’s in ruin, he doesn’t know how he’ll be able to move on from this—

_I’m so glad to have you in my life, Mark._

He slams his arm into the ground as he throws away the image of Donghyuck in his mind. Donghyuck, of starry-eyed smiles, all tongue in cheek, of soft kisses, of drowsy good mornings and bubbly laughter— is Elektōr.

“How could you do this to me?” Mark yells, the hurt and grief finally catching up to him. His voice is raw, hands shaking as he covers his own face. His hand is bleeding, but the pain doesn’t kick in. Or maybe he’s in so much pain right now that the pain in his hand isn’t distinguishable above the rest of his harsh reality.

It’s a brutal reminder that this isn’t a nightmare his brain had maliciously concocted. Hell, he doesn’t think his brain could think of something as awful as this.

Elektōr had taken everything from him. _Donghyuck_ had taken everything from him, and left after breaking him into a million pieces.

He brings a hand to his chest, clutching it tightly to try and ease the agony blossoming from his heart. These ineffable emotions swirl within him, escaping from the seams.

The only thing he can do is keep himself together, but he doesn’t think he’s doing a good job of that either. Everything he thought once knew about Donghyuck crumbles apart like the city he’s failed to protect.

He reaches for the debris around him, letting it spill out of his hand along with his silent tears.

_Goodbye, Donghyuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... shit just hit the fan ;-; It's mostly uphill from here, I promise!
> 
> Comments are highly appreciated as usual ^^
> 
> Next chapter: Renjun, Dongyoung, and Jaemin scrambling to fix Donghyuck's mess
> 
> [my twt](https://twitter.com/2amcoffeerants) | [my cc](https://curiouscat.me/2amcoffeerants)


	9. Portāriō

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Huang Injun: Vigilante in hiding number 2. Currently: Cleaning up Donghyuck’s mess (Please wake up, we need you).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone who read my new work Lose To You will know that my MacBook broke :[ I'm sooooo glad I wrote this on Google docs or I would've lost 40k of this fic that I have yet to post... If I wrote this in word I don't think I'd want to live through rewriting the next five+ chapters 😭
> 
> Anyways, many new perspectives today! I wanted to flesh out Donghyuck's squad because they've been with him through thick and thin 🥺

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✫・.・✭・゜・。.

  
  


The earth is shaking, but Injun trusts the bunker they’ve made. They’re not right in the epicenter of it all, but it still shakes just as violently. Injun starts to have doubts, but then the rumbling stops almost as quickly as it came.

He sits in his chair nervously while Dongyoung frantically paces back and forth. It’s slightly irritating seeing Dongyoung shifting in and out of his peripheral vision, but Injun is too nervous to think about that right now. 

He's just about had enough of Doyoung fluttering about like an annoying fly (his brain is unhelpfully chanting “smack him, smack him” in his head) when the portal reopens. He swivels his chair quickly only to see Jaemin rushing back to the base with terror in his eyes.

Injun would like to think he’s pretty good at staying composed at all times (especially during emergencies like this), but even he can’t help but let out a gasp when he sees Donghyuck without his mask and folded over in Jaemin’s arm. 

“Holy crap, Hyuck—”

He rushes forward towards his friend without even thinking, and they all quickly lay him flat on the floor.

Donghyuck is out cold, brows slightly furrowed, skin more gray than the usual glow the boy usually sported.

Donghyuck is such an idiot. Idiot, idiot, idiot. Why did he stay behind? Injun wants to give him a good lecture, alright. But he can’t. Not until Donghyuck wakes up.

“Dongyoung,” Injun directs immediately, but Dongyoung has already started preparations without him asking. Donghyuck definitely AD-ed, and only Dongyoung can bring him to the hospital.

Jaemin’s eyes are cold, angry almost. “Injun, Dongyoung, take care of Hyuck. I’ll be back.” Before Injun can even stop him, Jaemin has left the base to do whatever he was so determined to do.

There’s no time to think about whatever Jaemin is planning on doing. Injun trusts him to not do something as stupid as what Hyuck did just now.

“Let’s get the story straight,” Injun starts rambling. “The earthquake was _bad_ , you can say you were out anywhere in Seoul—”

“I can say he saved me,” Dongyoung interrupts, finishing his thoughts. “I can say we were outside and the building beside us was tumbling down so he stopped it.” Dongyoung continues taking off Donghyuck’s suit and dressing him into regular clothes.

With all that done, Injun helps gently lift Donghyuck into Dongyoung’s arms. Injun opens a portal, and Dongyoung looks at him with a nod and stands up from his kneeling position.

“Dongyoung, keep me updated, please,” Injun adds as Dongyoung enters the portal. It closes as Dongyoung nods without looking back, and then it’s over.

Injun doesn’t realize he’s shaking until his labored breaths are the only sound echoing in the base. His legs feel weak, the rush of panic-derived energy leaving his system, and he slowly lowers himself to sit on the floor where he was standing.

He covers his face and tries to take deep breaths. _Hyuck will be okay_ , Injun closes his eyes as he repeats that in his head like a mantra to comfort himself. Donghyuck only needs a drip, and they saved a lot of time with the portals. They’ll probably be earlier than most of the emergency rush. Everything will be okay... right?

But Donghyuck didn’t come back with his mask on.

If he was with Môlos and the agent was the one who unmasked him… It would be game over.

He uses his left hand to hold onto his right to stop the shaking, but he can’t. He knows how terrifying it is to have agents chasing after you, him and Jaemin both. He was always secretly jealous of Hyuck who could still live a regular life, but he would _never_ wish for his friend to share their fate.

Injun will never trust the authorities. The authorities never cared for him and his family, his friends, his community, and only came to take him away because his sudden growth spurt gave him abilities. The authorities were never there when his community was impoverished, festering with crime and lawlessness because NCT wouldn’t waste their time dealing with a town of level 0s.

All the past missions and data collecting only proved his convictions more. Human experimentation, murder… That organization was evil. All they did was hide behind a shield of legality to serve the higher levels.

Sometimes Injun thinks about what his life would be like now if he had just been like the rest of his family. He’d be poor and hungry, yes, but his family wouldn’t have pushed him away in a mix of disgust and jealousy when they realized he had abilities. His family wouldn’t have sold information about his whereabouts and ability for money. He wouldn’t have had to run away from the place he thought was his home, run away from people he thought were his friends and family while agents were after him.

Dongyoung told him after he had settled in that he took the longest to warm up to Hyuck out of all of them. But Injun came from a lawless, impoverished area in the edge of Korea where upper levels only came to terrorize them. He had screamed and kicked like a child when Hyuck and Jaemin dragged him into the base because he was on the run and swore to himself that he would never let himself get caught by anyone. But they showed him that there were upper levels who did want to help, that _did_ care. And Injun was now one of them, and that he could make a difference.

Donghyuck managed to form this group, each joining with their own purpose and goal. But the overarching endgame was the same: to do whatever it took to change the system. And now Donghyuck would have to suffer the same fate as them; alone and isolated from the outside world.

“Injun,” Jaemin’s voice interrupts his thoughts, and he opens his eyes to find Jaemin crouching next to him looking equally as exhausted. He wonders how long it’s been since Jaemin wandered back into the base.

“Hey,” Injun replies tiredly, resting his head on Jaemin. “What were you doing outside?”

“To be honest, I didn’t have a plan when I rushed out. But seeing Hyuck like that… I had to do something, you know? Maybe get some leverage against Môlos now that he knows who was underneath Elektōr’s mask.” Jaemin takes a deep breath, then slowly sits down on the floor besides him. “So I followed him.”

“Hm?” Injun doesn’t complain when Jaemin hugs him, and they stay like that. Jaemin’s fever hasn’t subsided at all, and his face is still too warm against his shoulder. “What did you find?”

“Well, you know how the tracking ability allows me to know a person’s location once I’ve seen their face? So I waited for Môlos to take his mask off. But he never did until the very end. He walked all the way back to his residence without ever taking it off, and honestly I don’t know how no one saw him.”

“So that’s a dead end then,” Injun says dryly.

“No, no. It’s… complicated,” Jaemin replies, leaning further into their embrace.

“Injun, do you want the good news or bad news first?” Jaemin asks eventually.

“Jaemin, let’s stop playing games. You know it’s always bad news first.”

The silence is chilling, and Injun wonders how bad it can get when Jaemin finally starts talking again. “Môlos lives on campus, and in the same dorm as Hyuck,” Jaemin says in one breath. “It’s his boyfriend.”

Injun grips Jaemin’s suit tightly in his hands. The likelihood of this happening was astronomically low. He doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry at Donghyuck’s ridiculously bad luck. “...And what’s the good news?”

“I think he’s absolutely devastated. He’ll probably take some time before he reports to their headquarters, so that buys Hyuck some time to recover enough DTH before we need to get him out of the hospital.” Jaemin replies quickly, shifting his head to the side so his cheeks are against Injun instead of the nose-first position he had been in.

That solves a lot of problems. Donghyuck needs to recover enough stamina to be at least awake before he can rest away from the hospital. It would have been ideal to stay until he’s fully recovered, but they clearly don’t have that luxury right now.

Injun hopes that the adoration Mark Lee had felt for Donghyuck is strong enough that he’ll stay away from reporting until Donghyuck wakes up.

“This is so messed up.” Injun rests his hands on his forehead as a headache starts to set in.

“I know, Jun. I don’t even know how we’ll be able to tell Hyuck when he wakes up, and I’m honestly scared about how he’ll react to all this.” Jaemin finally lets go from their embrace, looking at his hands.

Injun doesn’t know how to tell Donghyuck either. He doesn’t have the words to comfort Jaemin, doesn’t know what to say like he normally does.

He doesn’t have a plan, and he hates it.

A notification pops up to temporarily distract him from his thoughts, and he opens up his holoscreen to see a message from Dongyoung. He skims it quickly before standing up.

“Hyuck got a room. Dongyoung says he saw them insert the drip, so now Hyuck just has to wake up.” Injun reaches in the cabinet for a bottle of water and his suit and starts getting ready. He's never had to use it, but Dongyoung had insisted on making one for emergencies. Injun is infinitely grateful to have another member in the group he can rely on to make thoughtful decisions.

“What are we doing now?”

“We need to take shifts in his room, Nana,” Injun says as he puts on the suit Dongyoung made for him. “We have to make sure we’re at the hospital at all times so we’re ready to bring Hyuck out when NCT shows up.”

Jaemin stands up as well, doing the same. “And then what do we do after we bring him back?”

Injun looks back at Jaemin through the disguise as he opens a portal.

“I don’t know, Nana. I really don’t know.”

  
  


.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✫・.・✭・゜・。.

  
  


Dongyoung steps straight into the warzone that is the emergency ward at the hospital and gets straight to business. There’s already a large crowd of people here, mostly lower levels who couldn’t protect themselves from the crumbling buildings and other damages the earthquake caused.

He immediately heads for a nurse who swipes a finger up quickly to view his ID before interrupting him. The nurse doesn’t even bother looking at Donghyuck’s ID after checking his. “Sorry sir, we’re really busy right now, someone will help you soon.”

But Donghyuck needs help fast. Dongyoung can barely feel Donghyuck’s breaths against his chest, and he can feel how cold Donghyuck is even pressed against him. If he doesn’t get a DTH infusion soon… Dongyoung presses onward. “But—”

“Sir, I understand that you feel like you need urgent help. But many people here do. We are following the triage from most to least urgent, please be patient.” And then the nurse runs off.

Despite the severity of AD-ing, it literally only takes 2 minutes to solve it. Donghyuck just needs an infusion, goddammit, and a medical personnel who will actually stop and listen for one second.

The hospital probably wasn’t expecting any upper levels. Stamina depletion was unlikely if the load was spread across several people, but Donghyuck had been alone with an agent who apparently was utterly useless if Donghyuck had ended up like this.

“Please—” Dongyoung stops another nurse who at least has the decency to look over both their physiological states quickly.

“Sorry, please sit down by the benches over there and the nurses there will bring you for treatment when it’s your turn. The healers will only deal with the most urgent cases right now.”

Dongyoung can’t give up like this. Donghyuck needs help, and every second that passes by means an increased chance of Donghyuck not waking up again.

“Excuse me—” Dongyoung desperately reaches out for another incoming nurse.

“I think he might have passed out from shock. He’ll be awake soon,” The nurse says as she runs into the hallway.

Dongyoung wants to yell out in frustration, but he knows that will only make the medical personnel want to listen to him less.

He _does_ have an idea about how to get their attention, even if it gnaws at his insides, twists it until he feels like he could throw up.

He hates how he knows this will work, but he can’t think too much about it right now. Donghyuck needs help.

“I have a 7.0 here right now who AD-ed! Please help!” He shouts loudly amidst the chaos of the emergency room full of patients waiting to be treated. Most people who need help here have physical injuries— fractures, burns, crushed body parts. The people nearby stare at him in disdain, but he ignores it all.

A doctor eventually arrives with a stethoscope around his neck and a few nurses following in the back. They’re all whispering to each other, probably thinking it’s some random low level’s tactic to get treatment fast.

“Is the boy the 7.0?” The doctor asks, unable to hide the incredulity in his tone. Dongyoung stands his ground, looking the doctor in the eye.

“You can check for yourself.” He nods his head at Donghyuck, and the doctor clears his throat as he swipes his finger up in the air and Donghyuck’s profile appears on his holoscreen. The screen returns with a cheery eyed Donghyuck, the one with big smiles and glowing skin from before the school year started. Dongyoung still remembers how Donghyuck had dragged him excitedly to get his photo updated for his ID.

The ID can’t lie. The light blue “7.0” reflecting back at the doctor says it all. Unless NCT forged his details, there would be no way for anyone else to change it. Dongyoung now wishes Donghyuck had just been truthful about his level, because then he’d be able to go to the private hospital by NCT headquarters.

Or would that be worse and significantly increase his chances of getting arrested? At least he’d get better treatment; permanent injury would be worse.

It really was choosing the lesser of two evils.

The doctor dismisses the holoscreen with another swipe of his finger and immediately nods, gesturing for Dongyoung to follow.

“Sorry, but could you explain how he ended up in this predicament?” The doctor starts taking Donghyuck’s history immediately as they walk quickly away from the emergency area to a quieter corridor.

“He was with me outside when the earthquake happened. The building next to us was falling down on us, so he helped me.” Dongyoung lies smoothly as the doctor shakes his head slightly.

“He was just with you? And not with other upper levels?” The doctor leads him into a room, and Dongyoung quickly lifts Donghyuck into the bed.

Was it that hard to believe an upper level hanging out with a level 0? Dongyoung stops the growl from making it past his throat and nods. “I’m his legal guardian and emergency contact.”

“Ah,” the doctor reaches for Donghyuck’s neck to check for a pulse as the nurses start quickly attaching Donghyuck with machinery and wiring.. “This does indeed look to be quite severe symptoms, but luckily stamina depletion is easily fixable. He’ll just need rest, and then he’ll wake up in about a week or so.” A nurse arrives holding a pole with a bag attached to it, and another nurse quickly starts wiping a cotton pad of rubbing alcohol on Donghyuck’s left arm.

“He also seems to be running a fever.” Dongyoung turns his head slightly. Did Donghyuck catch Jaemin’s cold? Jaemin was sick mostly because he was being overworked though, he’s not sure of the science behind it but he didn’t think it would be contagious. “Since he’s here we might as well run a white blood cell count.” 

The nurse in charge of inserting the drip completes her task by covering the needle with tape, and the heart monitor starts beeping in time with Donghyuck’s heartbeat.

“He’s stable for now. The other doctors will come by during the rounds with his lab results.” The doctor rests a hand on Dongyoung’s shoulder, and files out along with the rest of the nurses.

Dongyoung sits down on the chair beside the hospital bed, reaching out for Donghyuck’s right hand that isn’t attached to the drip. He’s still much too cold, and Dongyoung cups his hand with both of his, brushing his thumb gently over the backside of Donghyuck’s hand.

This boy has been working on overdrive for the last three years. He still remembers the Donghyuck of three years ago, a wide-eyed 15 year old dressed in a hoodie and basketball shorts while raiding his apartment. He remembers how he had thought it was NCT entering to raid his basement only to be met with a teenager, how they both stared at each other in disbelief and panic, and how Donghyuck had thwacked him with a nearby pot Rapunzel-style. The next thing he knew, he was bound to a chair in his own apartment and the boy was staring at his gadgets and prototypes in wonder instead of escaping like he probably should’ve for getting caught trespassing on someone’s property.

“Uh, could you please untie me? If you leave me like this I can’t get out or call for help,” Dongyoung eventually asked nervously. This was the boy that he had been keeping track of on his electromagnetic wave detector he had created for fun. After Dongyoung was rejected as an applicant to work at NCT, Dongyoung had resorted to working at a children’s toy company even though it was the last possible job he would want. And so he decided to scrape up the little things he found, leftovers from the toy company to create his own gadgets. He had upped his own security with self made repulsion fields to prevent NCT from finding his tech (his work was clearly unauthorized), but he didn’t think that would be the cause of his downfall. Well, he thought it was his downfall at the time, but he got to meet Donghyuck.

Donghyuck was the first person to ever believe in him and his engineering skills. Donghyuck was the one who gave him the opportunity to use those skills he learned in school to make new fun and cool and _exciting_ things that he wouldn’t even have dreamt of creating. Donghyuck was the one who happily tried whatever prototype Dongyoung gave him even if it was risky and could injure him. He was the first to ever believe that Dongyoung, a level 0, could create awesome gadgets that could be on par or even be more advanced than the technology NCT had to offer.

 _It’s because you enjoy it,_ Donghyuck would always say. _Because you make cool things, hyung, and I want to be the first one to try it._

And how could Dongyoung deny this wide-eyed teen who so open heartedly trusted in him? Who despite everything the world had thrown at him continued to accept it with open arms?

 _Donghyuck, you are so, so, dear to me._

The heart rate monitor continues its persistent beeping to remind Dongyoung of the current predicament. He isn’t sure if he can sleep tonight. 

Maybe it’s not in the best of circumstances, but at least Donghyuck gets to rest now.

  
  


.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✫・.・✭・゜・。.

  
  


Jaemin gets more anxious with each passing day. It’s been a little over a week, and Donghyuck still hasn’t woken up.

The doctors said that Donghyuck’s immune system was weaker than normal— it could be from lack of sleep, chronic stress, everything Donghyuck was unfortunately well versed in. With the added circumstances of his DTH being depleted, he would take a little longer than usual to wake up.

That normally wouldn’t be a problem, but each passing day meant the agents would be here at any moment. Jaemin isn’t sure how willing he is to portal Hyuck out the hospital when he isn’t awake yet, but he will have to if Donghyuck doesn’t wake up soon.

That was only one of the things on their long list of problems. They had a few emergency meetings in the past week (where either he or Injun would be absent from to watch over Hyuck), because no one has heard from Fȳren since the night Donghyuck had almost gotten caught a little over a week ago. Even if he didn’t know about Môlos (or Mark Lee, Jaemin thinks darkly) unmasking Hyuck, he should still have come by last Wednesday to pass another USB. He would have said something if he had to cancel.

Plus, Fȳren hasn’t left this one spot in the NCT headquarters ever since Jaemin decided to track him after noticing his disappearance. A quick look into NCTU’s student database showed that Wong Xuxi had been taken off the current student list with the note “indefinite leave of absence” ominously on the side. So he’s not dead, no. Imprisoned? Probably. Interrogated? Most likely. Tortured?

Jaemin pauses at that thought, unwilling to think of the possible implications behind Xuxi’s immobile state. He doesn’t know how much crime NCT would be willing to partake in, but he prays torture isn’t something they want to tiptoe into.

Jaemin clearly thought a lot about the possible scenarios Fȳren could be in right now during his hours safeguarding by Donghyuck’s hospital bed.

Considering how he had interacted with the fiery agent over the past few months, he’d like to think of the agent as a friendly (but still suspicious) acquaintance. Fȳren had always taken his job seriously but tried to bring some fun into his methods, so it was a good way to get updated on the outside world Jaemin had little access to. And after Fȳren volunteered to procure inside information for them, Jaemin had mostly just spent the time during missions practice-sparring with the agent.

It’s not Fȳren’s fault that Jaemin doesn’t trust NCT though, not at all. In fact, he might even admit that Fȳren has become an exception to Jaemin’s long term hate for them. Fȳren, as much as he is on the “other side”, tries his very best to be professional and unbiased even when he’s supposed to arrest him. Jaemin has nothing to blame him for.

Maybe Fȳren’s sincerity even helped him break criminals’ motivations, helped crack open their insecurities and guilt so they’d willingly go with him to be prosecuted. Because look at Jaemin now, thinking well of an agent when they were on different sides.

Wait, Fȳren hasn’t gotten a chance to do that since he and Môlos has been stuck trying to catch him and Donghyuck for the past half a year. Ha, never mind.

So Fȳren was another problem. And there was also the boy, Zhong Chenle, that Donghyuck had painstakingly tried to bring back before ending up in this state. Jaemin knows the kid is alive right now because he’s also trapped elsewhere in NCT like Fȳren, mostly unmoving from his current spot in the past few days. He had moved slightly a few days ago, but that was it. But Jaemin isn’t sure how long he’ll be able to track the boy for before his inevitable ability transfer.

So, Jaemin was currently the death tracker. What a useful ability to have, he thinks morbidly. Absolutely delightful. He could witness Fȳren and Zhong Chenle dropping off his radar live, and he’d even be able to report on their time of death like a surgeon. _What fun_ , he thinks sardonically to himself.

He was in charge of a lot of things; that was inevitable when they had a small team. Making sure Donghyuck wasn’t doing something stupid while on a mission had been one of them. He had been good at that. Well, he originally had been. But look at it now.

He should’ve stopped Donghyuck. Out of everyone on the team, he should’ve seen the signs.

It was all there. The silent fury, the disregard for everything except for the end goal… Jaemin went through it all before Donghyuck had stopped him from doing something he would have regretted.

Donghyuck was the one who had stopped him over two years ago, and he should have done the same.

“Na Jaemin?” Donghyuck had asked from behind him while he was spying on a group of trainee agents listening to their instructor. Jaemin had been hiding in a corner, listening to the trainer’s closing comments after their first training assignment as he waited for a chance to strike. He wanted to kill at least one of them, as many of them as he could, before they gunned him down.

He didn’t care. He came here prepared to die. He _knew_ he wouldn’t make it. He had already died the moment his parents did, so his life didn’t matter anymore. He was now just a vessel where Na Jaemin had originally resided.

He swiveled around quickly only for the shadowed figure to clamp a hand over his mouth as his knife left his hand. Jaemin’s angry yells were muffled, and he angrily kicked and stomped on whoever was stopping him from his assignment.

Jaemin clawed at the hand on his mouth, elbowing the assailant repeatedly in the stomach so he’d let go, but they refused to budge.

“Na Jaemin, I know you’re going to make a racket if I let go, so I’m not going to until the trainees leave,” The assailant murmured quietly into his ear through gritted teeth.

Jaemin didn’t fucking care what this random stranger had to say. NCT murdered his parents after they refused to have Jaemin join them because his father, an investigative journalist for one of the largest news outlets in Korea, knew of some of their suspicious dealings and refused.

“I know you're angry, Na Jaemin. You have every right to be. I know all the claims from the news outlets about how you killed your parents after they didn’t let you join NCT are a lie.”

_Then you damn right shouldn’t stop me!_

“You’re scared, cornered with nowhere to go. There’s a country-wide manhunt for you, and you probably think this is your last option.” The assailant continued, and Jaemin could practically feel himself bursting a vessel.

 _And it_ is _my last option! What can I do as a 16 year old on the run against the government that has pitted the country against me?_ Jaemin thought as he failed yet again to uncover the hand over his mouth.

Jaemin resorted to kicking the assailant’s leg, or maybe high enough to aim at his crotch. He didn’t care. The trainees were about to head back to Headquarters, and then he’d miss this chance that may never happen again.

“But Na Jaemin. Do you really think your parents would want you to waste your life like this? You’re going to kill maybe one or two trainees, and then they’re going to arrest or kill you and that would be it. Does that solve anything?”

The trainees then started scuttling in a large portal in an orderly fashion as Jaemin gathered the last of his strength to get the assailant off him. He did get them off, but the trainees and instructors were long gone.

“You intruded on something that was none of your business!” He yelled as he finally managed to turn around and see who he was murdering instead of the agents tonight.

He had a big fight with Donghyuck right after that. It was a struggle for both of them after Jaemin had copied Donghyuck’s ability. Jaemin was blinded with anger and fury and used all the skills he had within him even though he had never trained. And the stranger had taken it all, had let Jaemin use him as a punching bag until he had used up all his pent up stamina and anger.

That was when Donghyuck had said that quote Jaemin had recited before all of this mess.

“Revenge is never worth it, Na Jaemin,” Donghyuck said after Jaemin slowly sat down on the concrete gasping for breath. “But you can join me and make their lives a little more inconvenient.” 

Jaemin had then looked up to see a grinning Donghyuck with his hand reached out to help pull him up, and he had taken it.

Jaemin doesn’t even know why he had followed Donghyuck then. Maybe it was because he was lonely and desperate, and this stranger was right. Where would he go? He was going to be arrested sooner or later, and he’d already spent the last week stealing scraps because he had no money and couldn’t buy food in public anyways. If he was going to die, it was better with a full stomach with a random stranger than under the people he had utterly despised.

But the random stranger turned out to be the second family he never thought he would have.

Donghyuck had given him another opportunity at life. Na Jaemin had died along with his parents, but Plectō was born out of the ashes of his anger and hatred with a newfound desire to better the country, the world.

Donghyuck and Jaemin were two naive 16 year olds who had no plan except to make NCT’s life a living hell. Dongyoung had enabled them with those fancy gadgets that no teenager should have. Then level-headed Injun came along to make their missions more organized and manageable, and Jaemin found someone who could understand him, who could be there for him in his loneliest moments. Donghyuck had somehow formed a team that Jaemin couldn’t imagine being more perfect.

But even the most perfect team couldn’t stop this from happening.

Jaemin failed Donghyuck, hadn’t he. And that was how they ended up here with Jaemin sitting by Donghyuck’s side, waiting for him to wake up.

The only good thing was that unlike Jaemin, Donghyuck would _never_ stoop low enough to kill someone. If he was, Donghyuck really might have unknowingly killed his boyfriend after his brother had died.

Jaemin reaches out and gently moves a strand of hair away from Donghyuck’s forehead.

_Wake up, you fool._

There’s a rustle of the sheets, and a hand slowly reaches up to grab his. Jaemin startles, but stops when Donghyuck wakes up drowsily looking back at him.

Crap, Jaemin didn’t think that would actually work. He hadn’t taken anyone’s telepathy skills. Had he?

“Hey,” Donghyuck croaks out, then clears his throat to try again. “Your hands are too cold.” Donghyuck frowns slightly with half lidded eyes as Jaemin huffs. Donghyuck’s attempt at looking stern just made him look like he was in pain. “Are you still sick?”

“No, it’s your face that’s too warm.” Jaemin shakes his head slightly as he starts to retract his hand. “And no, not anymore.” Donghyuck and his worrying-about-other-people problem again. _He_ was the one currently laying in the hospital bed, not Jaemin.

Donghyuck stops Jaemin’s hand from fully retracting with a weak grip, and he lets Donghyuck bring his hand down by his side where it’s currently trapped around his fingers and the wires attached to his arm. Jaemin could easily wriggle out of the hold, but he wouldn’t do that to Hyuck right now.

“How are you feeling?” Jaemin asks eventually.

“Like shit,” Donghyuck laughs quietly but stops to wince. “I’m sore everywhere, and I feel so _weak_.”

“Yeah buddy, you wrecked yourself really bad,” Jaemin agrees quietly. He should probably try to get Hyuck discharged as soon as possible, but he wants to save the small precious moments like this, this tiny bubble they have away from the outside world before they have to be thrusted back into the chaos of reality.

“How bad was it?” Donghyuck asks, his voice light but his face serious. Jaemin knows he’s not talking about just the AD-ing anymore.

Jaemin doesn’t even know where to start.

“Do you want me to recount everything that’s happened from the beginning?” Jaemin can tell his voice is too unnatural sounding, too taut, robotic, whatever other adjectives he can think of right now that means he sucks at lying, but it’s too late.

Jaemin’s never good with things like this.

“Yes,” Donghyuck looks at him like he already knows, and Jaemin squeezes Donghyuck’s hand lightly in support. “Tell me everything.”

Jaemin can witness the light fading out of Donghyuck’s eyes, but maybe they never returned in the first place.

  
  


.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✫・.・✭・゜・。.

  
  


Donghyuck is discharged from the hospital that same day.

Injun had quietly listened to Donghyuck very nonchalantly mocking the doctor’s voice, a strident “Mr. Donghyuck Lee, you would probably benefit from a few extra days in the hospital for us to monitor you,” and a cheeky “but patients have final say” from Donghyuck himself. Donghyuck even recited the part after where the doctor told him to be careful, insinuating that maybe he should find friends who could help him in emergencies, and then Donghyuck reenacted the fake smile he had given the doc as he dutifully told him that he would ignore said advice and that Dongyoung had helped him plenty.

But Donghyuck was being _too_ nonchalant. He had taken the news a lot better than Injun had expected, but considering how he’s acting now, it was probably more worrisome.

“Jaeminie—”

“Yes, Hyuck,” Jaemin, who had been right beside him, answers right away, startling Injun from his musing. Jaemin’s probably just as on edge as he is.

“I need to go grab my belongings from the dorm,” Donghyuck casually reaches for the cupboards to look for a box to carry his things in. “I also need to see Sicheng.”

Jaemin frowns. “Hyuck, you don’t need to do either of those things. You can just borrow my clothes, and I’m sure your mentor would understand why you can’t say goodbye—”

“Jaemin,” Injun finally interrupts. “I think Hyuck should go.”

Donghyuck is the only one who can get closure, and he isn't going to take that away from him. Donghyuck will regret for the rest of his life if he doesn't say goodbye.

Jaemin gives him a look that has “I don’t think this is a good idea” written all over his face, but he’s in the minority here, and can only look back at Donghyuck with a sigh.

“Well, we’ll be on standby. Let us know if you need help.”

  
  


.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✫・.・✭・゜・。.

  
  


Donghyuck goes straight from his mentor’s lab to his dorm, so Injun doesn’t know how the first meeting went.

However, he _does_ notice how Donghyuck returns from the dorm room trip teary eyed. His eyes are bloodshot as he carries the one box full of his hastily thrown in belongings.

“Hyuck.” Injun immediately reaches out to take the box away from Hyuck. Donghyuck’s fingers are holding tightly onto the box, and Injun has to gently unravel his fingers so he can take it away.

“Sorry. I,” Donghyuck looks down on the floor. “I’m going to just chill in my room.” Donghyuck walks gingerly into his room, closing the door. The click of the lock echoes across the silence, ringing in Injun’s ears.

Injun had originally planned to help move the belongings into the room, but Hyuck clearly wants to be left alone.

“We can just move everything out of the box and categorize it so it’ll be easier for us to put in his room later?” Jaemin suggests.

Injun stares at the door for another second, then nods. “Yeah, let’s,” he says as Jaemin gives his hand a comforting squeeze.

  
  


.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✫・.・✭・゜・。.

  
  


As Injun slowly wades through Donghyuck’s things, he notices that there are three distinct categories of items. 

There’s his school work — an excessive number of one notebook and some casual sticky notes scattered about. Injun doesn’t really know why Donghyuck packed that when most of his notes must be on his holoscreen and he’s taking an extended leave from school anyway(but it may very well be permanent, Injun thinks dismally), but he stacks the sticky notes neatly unlike the haphazard mess it had been before anyways. Then there’s his clothes; his abundant amount of university hoodies. There’s also a hoodie in there that looks nothing like Donghyuck’s style. Jaemin had picked it up first with a look of disdain as he read the text out loud.

“This is a salt,” Jaemin read, and Injun had turned to see a “Na” square fighting a “Cl”. It’s a stupid science pun, a tacky one at that. Donghyuck would never wear this, but Injun takes it and puts it in the pile with the rest of the clothes anyways. 

Then there’s the rest of his things that Jaemin named the miscellaneous pile, mostly of lanyards and Donghyuck’s wallet and card key. There’s also a keychain that Injun thinks is from that last date before everything went to shit. Donghyuck’s eyes are wide open, and he looks like he’s yelling excitedly down the rollercoaster. His boyfriend, on the other hand, is terrified. Eyes closed, mouth open as he holds onto the safety guard and Donghyuck’s hand for dear life.

It’s startling to even begin to fathom that this is the stern-faced Môlos Injun has known for the past few months.

Donghyuck walks out of the room almost as soon as Injun and Jaemin finish.

“Hyuck,” Jaemin starts as he gestures to the piles of Donghyuck’s belongings. “We helped you unpack. We’ll move it into your bedroom now.”

Donghyuck walks towards them, pulling them both into a hug. “Thank you.”

“Uhm,” Injun starts but instantly regrets it. Darn him and his stupid mouth that goes blabbering when he doesn’t have a plan. But he’s started, and he makes himself spit out the rest of the sentence. “There’s also a pile of smaller things that includes stuff we weren’t sure where you wanted to put.”

Donghyuck unhooks his chin from between them and heads towards the pile, reaching for the keychain as he puts it in his palm to examine the photo.

Injun can feel his breath stop as Donghyuck’s eyes settle on the keychain for longer than need be.

“I don’t want it.” He says suddenly, throwing it in a perfect arc into the garbage can next to Injun’s monitors. There’s a loud thud of the plastic frame of the keychain hitting the metal of the can, and then silence. Donghyuck looks at the can to make sure he didn’t miss before returning to pick up his clothes to put in the guest room closet.

Injun wonders if Donghyuck threw away a part of himself along with the keychain.

  
  


.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✫・.・✭・゜・。.

  
  


It’s late at night when Injun hears rustling from the living room. He didn’t wake up from the noise, no. It was barely there, faint enough that Injun wouldn’t have heard it if he was sleeping. Injun had just stayed up because he couldn’t sleep with the whirring thoughts in his mind.

“Hyuck?” he finally gets up to find a dark shadow of someone rummaging through the trash. He turns on the lights, and it is indeed Donghyuck, wide eyed in surprise like a raccoon scavenging for food. Donghyuck might as well be one with the dark circles under his eyes. Injun doesn’t even know how he still has those even after sleeping for a week.

Donghyuck whisks his head around much too quickly as the lights turn on. Injun’s hair is probably all mussed, eyes still full of sleep and lethargy.

“What are you doing?” Injun blurts out eventually, but he knows.

“Injun,” Donghyuck starts, but then his throat catches.

Injun rushes forward before he can even think.

“Injun-ah—” Donghyuck finally cracks, sobbing into his arms. “I hate this. I never thought this would happen.” Injun buries his face as close as he can as he feels his friend’s heart break with every tear that falls onto his shirt. “It hurts so much, Jun. I liked him so so much, I didn’t see any of the signs at all, _gosh_ , how could I have been so _blind_ —”

It’s as if the floodgates keeping Donghyuck level headed the entire day finally breaks, shattering to welcome a flood of emotions he had been keeping inside. Injun can only be here for Donghyuck, holding him as his friend cries into his arms. He didn’t deserve any of this, and Injun would do anything to lessen the pain his friend was feeling.

“Jun, how do I get it to stop hurting?” Donghyuck looks up at him with tear-filled eyes. “It hurts differently from when my brother died. But it hurts just as much.”

“I just want to redo this year so I didn’t have to feel any of this—” Donghyuck’s voice hitches again as he struggles to catch his breath in between sobs. “If this was going to happen, then I should’ve just never met Mark at all—”

It really does feel like there isn’t anything he can do. Maybe Donghyuck was right. The only way to fix this was if this had all never happened. But that isn’t possible. Not at all.

Injun holds tighter onto Donghyuck’s shirt as he continues to sob. He gingerly rubs Donghyuck’s back in small circles as he whispers soothing words that Donghyuck probably isn’t listening to.

Why is the world so cruel? Donghyuck had suffered enough in his 18 years of life. Donghyuck doesn’t deserve any of this. It couldn’t get any worse than this.

“Injun—” Donghyuck eventually manages to speak again, cries dwindled down to sniffles.

“Do you think it’ll get better?”

Injun doesn’t know how it’ll go. The current situation is bad, yes, and he doesn’t know how to fix it right now, but it could possibly get worse before it gets better. He has no idea if they’ll make it out of this okay.

Injun is always the realistic one. He doesn’t talk bullshit. If they ever plan something and he doesn’t agree, he’ll say it how it is. Both Jaemin and Donghyuck know that.

But looking at Donghyuck with dried tear tracks down his face with the look of someone who had lost everything, he can’t help but answer with a white lie he knows Donghyuck needs to hear.

“It will, Hyuck. Promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too much happening this chapter, the pace is slow until chapter 11 ^^ Just wanted to explore the feels before it gets going again!
> 
> I did keep the group's background briefer than I would've liked but that's because I'm still considering a prequel 😅
> 
> As always, any thoughts on the direction? Plot? Any comment is accepted! 🥰
> 
> Next chapter: Mark (finally!)
> 
> [my twt](https://twitter.com/2amcoffeerants) | [my cc](https://curiouscat.me/2amcoffeerants)


	10. Môlos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lee Minhyung: Tormented (ex?)boyfriend. Currently: Wishes everything was the way it was before (How had he been so blind?).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap... The NCT landscape has completely changed since I last posted 😂Anyone who follows me on twitter knows I've been screaming about Shotaro for the past month (he's such a soft baby omg BUT HIS DANCING... 00 liner and a dancer? PLEASE), I've literally had to think about how to add Shotaro and Sungchan into this universe because how could I not???
> 
> Anyways, a much shorter chapter than usual but I think this cut off point is good. I hope you like it and that it answers some of your questions!!

ʕ•́ﻌ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


Mark was 13 when his parents died on a mission.

Because of the secretive nature of being agents, the causes of their deaths were classified, and Mark was not privy to that information even as their only son. All he knew was that they had kissed him goodnight like they always did every night, and then they never came back.

Before all this, Mark had lived at one of the NCT training facilities among NCT agents and had never dreamed of doing anything else. He slept, breathed, and ate with agents; he couldn’t think of a future without them. But the death of his parents had rattled him, and he needed something, someone to blame. What better than NCT, the agency that had sent his parents to die?

And blame he did. He was a preteen with a swirl of confusing testosterone who had suddenly lost his only family. Even though he had always been a very mild-mannered child, anger came to him easily as if he had practiced for years. He let himself turn into somebody he didn’t know, locking himself in his room, snarling hurtful words at anyone who dared to enter.

Then Johnny, an up and coming field agent who had been under his parents, stepped up to take care of him. He had braved his room when everyone had given up and had turned their backs from this teen with grief issues, and asked if Mark wanted to stay with him. Even after everything that had happened, Mark couldn’t shy away from the admiration that he had pushed away for his anger. Mark couldn’t kill his desire to become an agent. He couldn’t let his misery stop him from following Johnny around the NCT training grounds and Headquarters and witnessing what working as an agent was truly like.

Johnny treated him like his own brother from the beginning even when Mark had let the anger get the best of him. He listened silently when Mark yelled at how it was his fault that his parents died, and then hugged him afterwards telling him it was alright. He congratulated Mark when his abilities appeared for the first time in the form of him breaking Johnny’s vintage phone in half and encouraged him to strive for perfection in everything he did. Johnny had extinguished any doubts about what Mark wanted to do in his life. His parents had died in this occupation, yes, but it was for the betterment of the people.

When Johnny became the director of NCT, Mark was so happy for his brother, his confidant, his goal. Mark had vowed to prove that he could do the same as Johnny one day without Johnny showing favoritism of any kind. When Mark proudly stated that to him one day, Johnny had laughed and promised he wouldn’t. So Mark, through his hard work alone, completed the first stepping stone and became the highest scoring trainee of NCT history.

Everything NCT and Johnny did was for the betterment of everyone’s well being, and Mark had no qualms about sacrificing his choices and freedom if it meant other people didn’t have to. When he was given orders, he followed them. When he was told to kill a criminal for the first time as a trainee, he obliged. When they told him he was going to apply as a Chemistry major, he did.

It meant he didn’t have time for the other things he thought were more interesting, like how he had accidentally found out one day that he could heal his own cuts and bruises. But combat was first, and healing could be a bonus. Offense was always a priority: he was an agent after all, so he sacrificed sleep and spent the little spare time he had learning how to heal more than just a paper cut.

It was so refreshing to feel satisfaction aside from his achievements from his board exam scores, his combat tournament ranking, or anything related to his training as an agent. He was able to get Lucas out of trouble by healing his swollen ankle when he had trained too hard before their practical exams, and would be able to heal himself when he would one day be out on the field as an agent.

And so he decided to ask Ten to change his civilian ID’s ability to a healer, to allow himself to attend university without people knowing that he had the ability to kill people with his bare hands, to rip people apart from the inside.

Then he finally got to attend NCTU as the Johnny Seo Scholarship recipient for the top graduated NCT trainee, and he got a taste of what _freedom_ was like. Donghyuck was a dazzling existence that left Mark dizzy in awe, had Mark swept up in a whirlwind of beautiful smiles and melodious laughter until he had fallen for him, craving for more. 

Mark knew Donghyuck was an upper level the moment they met. After all, NCTU considered an individuals’ levels for their scholarships, and no matter how well your academic evaluations, it didn’t matter if your abilities were weak. 

Even though Mark had never had much opportunity to meet people outside of NCT until he graduated as a trainee, he had seen the typical high ranker behaviour among the trainees. It made sense that people would feel a sense of accomplishment, almost arrogance, at the responsibilities they were to uphold because of their capabilities.

But Donghyuck was different, one of a kind, and Mark could only lay eyes on how he befriended everyone regardless of their rank or lack thereof while everyone else looked for the numbers on the holoscreen. It was common courtesy not to pry about a person’s level if they didn’t offer it (although Donghyuck was probably the only upper level he knew that never introduced himself with it). It’s a handy way to get things done, to have someone’s attention immediately. But Donghyuck doesn’t do it the orthodox way (does he ever really?).

Mark admired how Donghyuck would cheer up a small child who tripped after running around in the playground with a mini display of light, or how he would help a grandmother carry the groceries when they went food shopping together. These little things didn’t require introductions, didn’t require bringing up levels, but Donghyuck did it anyway. Donghyuck saw the good in everyone and saw Mark for who he was beyond his measly 5.2 healer status. He saw the beauty in his abilities besides being able to destroy a person from within while they begged for him to stop, beyond plunging a 500 pound steel pillar into a criminal after terrorizing a student population.

Donghyuck became a physical embodiment of his reasons for being an agent. Donghyuck reminded him that he _could_ make a difference in this world despite all the setbacks and failures, that he could make the country a better place for people like him. Mark wanted to show him that despite the minor issues he had with the system, NCT was working their hardest to improve that.

Donghyuck was proof that there were people he loved and cherished that he wanted to take care of. He chose this path as an agent, chose to give up things he loved and sacrificed his options so he could protect people like him. Despite all the grueling moments in training where he wanted to give up, he continued on, because he wanted to save people from Code Blacks and other criminals who used their abilities for evil.

After Mark had almost died after that first Code Black, he realized he'd regret for the rest of his life if he didn't tell Donghyuck how he felt. And so he decided to confess using the chemistry project he had spent sleepless nights working on.

It was silly, really, because it was just a bunch of glowing lights that could float up into the sky. Mark could've just as easily used his abilities to make it float instead of spending days trying to create a luminous compound that was not as dense as air. But that was the point; he didn't want to use his abilities. He wanted to achieve something that didn't require this unexplainable science phenomena that everyone took for granted. 

He jumped in joy and instinctively swiped up to Donghyuck’s contact on his holoscreen the moment he saw the little packets of solution fly up in the dark lab reanimated like fireflies. He almost did contact him right then and there— the immense sense of pride he felt in completing this small project of his almost overwhelmed his desire to keep it a surprise. 

So when Donghyuck had said yes that night in the gardens, had chosen to be with Mark after seeing him for who he really was, Mark had thought that maybe he could have this one choice, this one source of happiness, to himself.

Oh, how naive he had been.

He was a trained field agent, the top of his graduating class, and he had let his feelings blind him to the hints and questionable details about Donghyuck and Elektōr. Donghyuck almost never used his ability in front of Mark, but Mark had just chalked it up to Donghyuck being different. He had explained away a lot of things that Donghyuck did as being different, as just Donghyuck being Donghyuck.

Donghyuck had lied about that party in the beginning of the school year to sneak out and steal from the apartment complex. He didn’t hit his face on a pole, Mark had _kicked_ him. Donghyuck had covered up all his activity and hidden it with lies or just not telling him at all, and Mark had believed him because the Donghyuck he knew was kind hearted, and never brought up violence and theft.

There had always been little hints scattered here and there; the skateboard he carried all the time was probably the board Elektōr used, Donghyuck went out late at night all the time, but Mark ignored it all because he believed in Donghyuck.

When Donghyuck came and pointed out all the mistakes he thought NCT were making, Mark dismissed them. He thought it was just some childish sense of anger just like Mark had had when he was younger. He dismissed it as nothing more than a minor annoyance that Donghyuck would eventually get over, just like he had.

And then Donghyuck had gone and betrayed him, stabbed him right in the chest full frontal, and Mark still didn't see it coming until it was too late, until Donghyuck was twisting the knife into the wound on his chest.

Mark had every right to feel betrayed, and he did. One of Mark’s physical reminders of the good in this world was the same criminal he had desperately tried to capture. The very person who had strengthened his purpose and motivations through this past year of hardship was the one who went against it all.

He wanted to scream, he wanted to pound his fists against Donghyuck and ask why he would do this to him, why he would go against his own country that had raised him and given him every opportunity to be successful.

But Donghyuck was unconscious, laying on a hospital bed attached to the DTH drip. Mark couldn’t bear to walk into the hospital room to be reminded of Donghyuck’s nightly outings. He couldn’t bear to see the pair of lips that had kissed Mark goodnight, that had whispered sweet nothings to him that now brought back images of that cocky grin illuminated under the moonlight and those sharp taunts at Mark’s failures. He could only stand by the door, hand shaking as he held onto the handle. It was just one push— he could even use his abilities, but he couldn’t do it. 

He told himself he would find Donghyuck’s location and arrest him, but when he did all he could do was listen to the whispers from the nurses about how the boy had saved a level 0 during the massive earthquake. The level 0 had fortunately been able to carry him to the hospital, and Donghyuck was immediately under the regular procedures for stamina replenishment. Mark would have at least offered a grim smile at that if he had been in the mood because oh how eerily familiar that story seemed, but instead he returned back to his dorms, not wanting to hear anything that reminded him of that night.

He really should go straight to NCT headquarters and apologize to Johnny for what an incompetent agent he had become. He should apologize for not being able to see the target of his mission while he was living with him and even _dating_ him. He should give Johnny all the information he had on Donghyuck in order to arrest him while he was comatose on the hospital bed.

 _Sir, I know the identity of Elektōr,_ Mark would say.

_It’s Lee Donghyuck, the person I’ve been dating for over half a year, who unconsciously reaches for my hand while he’s sleeping. Whose kisses taste like chocolate. Who has the literal stars, the Ursa minor, speckled on his face._

Who collapsed in his arms after saving his life. 

But Mark doesn’t say anything, because even after finding out who Donghyuck is, Donghyuck still has Mark’s heart in his hands, and Mark hates him for it. He’s lived all these years, trained and worked through blood, sweat, and tears to become an agent of NCT that his parents and Johnny would be proud of. And then this boy who he’s known for less than a year, with his bright smiles and eyes alight with mirth, is able to overturn Mark’s world without him noticing, tearing down his previously unwavering devotion into unfixable pieces.

Even when Donghyuck is laying on a hospital bed, Donghyuck has Mark under his control. Mark is disappointed in himself that he even _thinks_ about waiting for Donghyuck to wake up so that he can explain himself. Freshly graduated NCT trainee Mark Lee would have arrested him on the spot and sent him to prison by now.

Despite all his encompassing disappointment and internal berating, Mark returns to his dorm with no captive, wallowing in these thoughts and questions as he waits for Donghyuck’s return. Donghyuck will definitely come back to grab his things. Plectō surely will notify him about how Môlos had uttered his real name, and that he was probably going to have to live his life on the run after being put on NCT’s target list.

And so Mark waits, and after a few more sleepless nights, Mark hears the almost inaudible sound of a person landing on their feet in Donghyuck’s bedroom, and he walks over without even thinking. 

“Donghyuck,” he says slowly, vaguely noticing how broken he sounds as he opens the bedroom door.

Donghyuck stills, midway through grabbing his things. He turns around, and Mark gets to look at the boy for the first time in a week. Of course, a few days won’t change how Donghyuck looks (barring the hollowness in his cheeks, the dark circles under his eyes), but Mark can no longer see the same Donghyuck that he saw seven days ago.

“Mark.” Donghyuck swallows, body tense like a coil ready to release.

Mark doesn’t know what to say. He’s thought about this constantly during the last week, yet he doesn’t know where to start.

He has a chance to pretend he doesn’t know, to pretend he’s just Lee Minhyung, Donghyuck’s boyfriend, regular NCTU student. Has a chance to reach out to Donghyuck and hug him and tell him how worried he was. But he can’t make himself do it, not with what he now knows.

He instinctively takes a step forward towards Donghyuck anyway, hands reaching out, but Donghyuck immediately takes a step back as if he'd been burned.

Mark doesn't know if the one who's been burned is Donghyuck or himself.

“I know who you are,” There’s a gleam in Donghyuck’s eyes as he stands taller, “Môlos.”

Maybe Plectō did some digging on the people that Donghyuck knew after Mark had found out who he was.

Maybe Donghyuck had even talked to Plectō about Mark before, and he had known since the beginning. 

“So you were Elektōr all along,” Mark answers, a bitter taste on his tongue. He has never said those words out loud, and hearing it for the first time causes an ache in his chest. It’s the confirmation of his worst nightmares, and now that he’s verified it himself, there’s no turning back.

There’s a tense silence between them, and the pain in Mark’s chest grows into something more sinister, like embers of a fire beginning to spread.

“Why?” Mark blurts out. One word could never truly encompass everything he wanted to scream out, wanted to yell. But Mark’s mind is a chaos of anger and misery and torment from the past week, and his brain will never be able to incorporate all those thoughts into something coherent.

“Why do you spend your nights breaking into public security buildings?” The fury that he had cycled through in the past week rushes back like it never went away. “Why do you go around breaking the law without a care in the world?” 

“You think I wanted to?” Mark can almost see Donghyuck roll his eyes. “You think I wanted to lose sleep and my youth going around at a risk of getting injured and arrested?”

“My brother died because of NCT, because people like you wanted to uphold the social hierarchy!” Donghyuck adds, anguish obvious on his face. “Incarcerated for being a threat to safety my ass. NCT just couldn’t have him under their control and killed him instead!”

This is the first time Mark has seen any sign of weakness in Donghyuck today, and engrossed in his anger, Mark can’t help but prod at where it hurts.

“Well, if he didn’t want to follow public order then maybe he should have died,” Mark snarls, and he immediately sees the remnants of the Donghyuck he thought he knew disappear.

“How dare you!” Donghyuck seethes. “You have no right to talk about my brother like that when you don’t even know him!” he yells as his hands grip the window sill strong enough that his knuckles turn white. “You don’t even know how he died,” Donghyuck closes his eyes, trying to keep his emotions in control.

“If NCT was the reason for his death, it must have been justified,” Mark answers coldly, lifting his head a little higher. “NCT holds itself in the highest standard, and the law goes for us, too.”

“Yet the law that is supposed to protect the people turns a blind eye to those in need? Does NCT not see the unfair treatment towards people who have no abilities?”

“We as high rankers have the responsibility to _help_ them, we don’t treat them any differently.”

“ _You_ don’t treat them differently? Then what is NCT doing, ignoring how lower levels don’t receive equal opportunities as the rest of us? What are they doing murdering kids and upper levels who refuse to do their bidding?”

Mark feels his skin tingle hot at Donghyuck’s attempt to vilify NCT. How dare he comment on what NCT was doing when _he_ was the one breaking the law?

“You are a _criminal_! You have no right to judge us on how we are run!”

Donghyuck scoffs as if he can’t believe what he just heard. “ _Oh_ , so you think you’re so much better than everyone else, doing things in the name of the law. Enforcing ideals that Mr. Seo created just because you’re a high ranker with a badge on your suit.” Mark has never seen this look in Donghyuck’s eyes before, and he wonders if this is how his victims feel when he breaks them apart from the inside. “You’re so engrossed in your own sense of justice that you can’t even see who you’re working for!” Donghyuck’s voice increases in volume and he’s practically yelling at the end, fingernails digging into his palm, but then he retracts, deflating.

“Maybe it’s for the better that we end things this way,” Donghyuck finally says with what Mark thinks is heartache laced with regret. “You only see what you want to see, convinced that NCT is in the right.”

“So you’re saying _you’re_ in the right?” Mark’s anger rushes back like a current, his hand closed into shaking fists. “You played me for a fool, you must have thought it was so funny to have an agent twirled around your little finger as you taunted me every night!” 

“I did not leave my feelings out just to find out the person I liked was the one trying to catch me all along!” Donghyuck’s eyes are ablaze, glowing even without using his abilities. Mark has never seen Donghyuck this angry until today, but he has seen glimpses of it in Elektōr, and he can start to see the similarities between the two. He really was a fool for not being able to see parallels between them.

“That sounds like something you’d do, after all, you’re already going around stealing confidential information. Playing with someone else’s feelings isn’t illegal, you probably think it doesn’t even matter!” Mark huffs in spite of it all. 

“Don’t you dare tell _me_ how I feel, Mark Lee!” Donghyuck grabs Mark’s collar by the fist full, hands shaking. “I would never do that, and you are so stubborn that you don’t even want to admit that you’re wrong!”

Donghyuck is so close to him, his focus flickering between both of Mark’s eyes. This is just like the first time they met as Môlos and Elektōr when Donghyuck pulled him in and taunted him. But it isn’t the same.

“I didn’t do that, Mark,” Donghyuck swallows as he eventually lets go and leans on the window sill, fatigue taking over the fury. “I didn’t know until I woke up today. I've liked you ever since the first day. Everything I did with you was real.”

A week ago, Mark would never have doubted that. In any other circumstance, he would’ve kissed Donghyuck and replied that he liked him too. Instead, all he can feel is the fiery abyss inside him swell in anger.

“All you do is lie, why should I believe you?”

“Minhyung,” Donghyuck uses the name he stopped calling Mark since the first night on move in day. It was an uncharacteristically desperate tone, which seemed neither like Donghyuck nor Elektōr. But Mark didn’t know either of them, did he? He didn’t know Donghyuck at all, and he certainly didn’t know Elektōr. Everything had just been a façade, a front he had put up so not even NCT agents would be suspicious of him. Donghyuck didn’t care about ranks because he wanted to rebel against whatever NCT directed was the norm, went around hijacking NCT branches just because he could, and played Mark for a fool.

“I hid my identity from everyone not involved in this, including you.” Donghyuck continues. “But I wouldn’t lie about this. I really do like you.” Donghyuck looks at Mark with what he would have thought was genuine intentions if he hadn’t known who Donghyuck was, eyes almost on the brink of tears.

Mark can’t think straight. He isn’t thinking at all. How can he, when he doesn’t know what is real and what is a lie? As much as he wants to believe Donghyuck, he can’t. The boy he had planted soft kisses on was the criminal he had vowed to arrest for almost a year, and no matter how much he cries and sobs and begs and prays, there was no changing that.

But even if he can’t differentiate between Donghyuck’s truth and lies— he knows his own truth.

“I love you.” The words tumble out of his mouth, spilling one after the other without pause, the quietness in his voice a sharp contrast to the fierce anger he had felt moments ago.

And Mark falls apart just like that, each word stripping him of his will, extinguishing his fury. He doesn’t want this, would _never_ want this, he just wants his _Donghyuck_ back, wants to undo that night with Donghyuck unconscious in his arms so he wouldn’t have known any of this.

“Hyuck,” Mark rasps in between sobs, overwhelmed by his hopelessness and despair, “you don’t have to do this.” 

“Mark,” Donghyuck’s voice cracks at the end, heavy with a mix of sorrow, regret, and guilt, and Mark can’t look him in the eye. He loves Donghyuck, has loved him since he had picked up his glasses on move-in day. And now, Mark can’t have him anymore.

Mark looks at his hands as he staggers backwards away from Donghyuck. “This is so fucked up,” His lips quiver as his eyes blur with tears. All the memories he has with Donghyuck come back to haunt him one by one, shattering as he realizes how none of it was real. “Why did it have to be this way—” And then Donghyuck reaches for his hand, cups his face in the other, and presses his lips to Mark’s with a desperation that Mark mirrors willingly.

Mark remembers how they used to kiss on their couch, the amber glow of the sunset illuminating Hyuck’s skin like glistening honey, his mouth sugary sweet as he waited for Mark to take him. And Mark did without hesitation, like a fly to a trap laced with promises of sweet nothings. 

And now he’s drowning in betrayal, having fallen for someone he can never have yet still desires.

He needs to breathe, to pull back for air, but he pushes forward against his needs. Because he knows: the moment he moves away, he won’t ever be able to feel this again. His lungs are bursting at the seams, pain blossoming and ripping at him, screaming at him to let go, but he pushes forward.

He never would have thought that the boy who had given him so much joy could suffocate him so.

But he continues, returning all the feelings he had for the boy he thought he’d be with forever, an eternity’s worth of futures and promises in the press of his lips against Donghyuck’s. There’s a dampness on his cheeks, his tears, Donghyuck’s tears, he doesn’t know. His eyes sting, throat constricting as his hands claw at Donghyuck's side; something to keep him grounded from the pain he feels inside. 

Mark had always kissed Donghyuck slowly, gently, thinking he was someone he wanted and needed to cherish and protect. But Donghyuck didn’t need it, didn’t need _him,_ Mark realizes now as he kisses with more fervor than he knew he had in him. He’s desperately clinging onto Donghyuck, holding his hoodie tightly between his fingers, pulling him in close enough that they could be one. 

As he pulls Donghyuck closer, ingraining the soft brown hair, silky skin in a shade of gold, and the scent of fresh flowers into his memory one last time, he vaguely notices he’s being pushed back.

He’s dizzy from the sudden replenishment or previous lack of air, he doesn’t know which, but Mark can only watch numbly as Donghyuck steps into a portal with a whisper of thank you and goodbye.

And now Mark is left with nothing but empty promises, the warmth on his lips and his face fading along with the possibilities of a future with the brown eyed boy he had loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the major angst is over!! Okay I promise it'll actually start getting better now that the second "arc" of three is finished 😂 Back to exciting things and superpower stuff and action ^^
> 
> Comments are always appreciated! I love reading them and replying ;-; I really do appreciate every single one of them 🥺
> 
> [little update Dec 21: Well... school sort of got out of hand so I pushed this off to the side for a bit. The next chapter will be up within the next two weeks! Sorry for the wait ><]
> 
> [my twt](https://twitter.com/2amcoffeerants) | [my cc](https://curiouscat.me/2amcoffeerants)


	11. Lacertus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim Jungwoo: Mark’s temporary partner. Currently: Acting very suspicious (in Mark’s humble opinion).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since the last chapter, hasn't it? I was just very unsatisfied with its contents, then school got in the way, then I had a deadline for another fic I had to post (It'll be up soon!)... Yeah it's been quite busy 😅
> 
> Anyway, I hope this was okay ;-; Still fairly unsatisfied with it but at some point I realized I should just let this chapter go and move on to the next part 😭 I guess this is my Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate!) gift for everyone who's following along aha

### Federal Agency of Neural Competency: Active Agents (Classified)

Agent 800: Môlos

Family lineage: Lee 412

Civilian Identity: Lee Minhyung

Ability: Molecular Manipulation (Manipulation)

Level: 9.2

Additional information: From a family of agents. Was under ex agent Johnny Seo’s care while he was a minor. Currently under scrutiny for his connection with ex-agent 815.

  
  


ʕ•́ﻌ•̀ʔっ♡★

“Agent 800, please come in.”

Mark stiffly enters Johnny’s office with his usual impassive face. He mostly uses it when he’s out on missions (well, he _had_ in the beginning), but if he doesn’t put on a façade right now Johnny will definitely know something is wrong.

Johnny’s office is as impeccably clean as always, a large circular space with his desk right in the center. Mark hasn’t entered Johnny’s office as an agent yet until today. He’d spent some of his teenage years wandering around the halls, sneaking into his house, but once he graduated he was so busy and he just never had an official reason to visit.

But now here he is again, everything just like before but no longer the same as Johnny smiles warmly at him, gesturing for him to come closer.

“Mark, how have you been recently?” Johnny asks with that charming smile of his.

“It’s been good, school is just getting a little hectic right now,” Mark smiles back as he feels absolutely nothing.

“I’m sure you’ll do great, Mark.” Johnny brings his hands together on top of his desk, intertwining his fingers. “You’re rank number 1 from batch 800 after all.”

Johnny, despite not knowing what Mark is going through, manages to help Mark feel a little bit better. “Thank you, hyung. I’ll try my best.”

“By the way, Johnny.” Mark changes the topic. “How come your secretary isn't here with you today?”

Johnny’s secretary has always been extremely elusive to even Mark— All he has is his name, how he always diligently follows Johnny around, and how he is one of Johnny’s close confidants.

Mark remembers how he’d find the secretary in Johnny’s office working away in the middle of the night when he himself had also tried to sneak into the training rooms. They had a sort of mutual agreement not to rat on each other. After all, they both knew— they were doing it for the agency. He trusted him to be working diligently to make Johnny’s life easier, and surely the secretary knew he was working hard to be the best agent that would make Johnny proud. Despite never conversing, they had a mutual understanding of each other that Mark appreciated.

But then Johnny drops the unexpected.

“He’s no longer here,” Johnny’s smile stays up but there’s a slight crinkle in the corner of his eyes. “He passed away recently.”

“Oh,” Mark whispers. “I’m sorry.” He had only ever exchanged brief smiles with the secretary, but any death was upsetting. Johnny really did have a good poker face, but it would be expected of a trained agent. If Mark hadn’t asked, he wouldn’t have known that something this personal was going on in Johnny’s life. But it isn’t ever good to keep something like this bottled up, and Mark hopes Johnny has someone else to confide in during bad times like these.

Even as someone who thinks he knows Johnny well, Mark has a difficult time finding the small inklings of fatigue on him. Johnny’s shoulders are slightly hunched forward, slight wrinkles settling in the corners of his eyes. Mark wishes he could be here to support him, to help him feel better, but he isn’t in the right place to be helping others when he too is hurting the same.

A knock interrupts their heavy pause, and Johnny returns to a more professional aura fitting of the role of operations director. “Come in.”

Another agent enters and walks over to stand beside Mark. “Sir,” he says with a soft voice Mark hadn’t expected from the well-built agent, and Johnny nods in acknowledgement.

“Agent 703. This is Mark, your temporary partner. Would you like to introduce yourselves to each other?”

Mark turns back towards Johnny, looking for confirmation that he isn’t joking. What? He hadn’t heard anything about this. What happened to Lucas?

Agent 703 turns and offers his hand with a polite smile. “Hello, I’m Agent 703. You can call me Lacertus, or Jungwoo when we’re not on a mission.”

Mark returns with a smile of his own and shakes Jungwoo’s hand warmly. “Very nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you.”

“You two will continue working on the case that Môlos and Fȳren have been following. Hopefully you’ll be able to finish up with Lacertus’ help.” Johnny informs them both after their quick introduction. “This will likely be temporary until we find you a more suitable partner, Môlos.”

“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking. Where is Fȳren?” Mark hadn’t been able to contact Lucas that day when all hell had broken loose, and he had been in a very dark space alone for the week after. Lucas was one of the few close friends he had who could empathize with his predicament. None of his other university friends would ever understand what he was going through. But he never picked up.

“Ah yes, Fȳren.” Johnny adjusts his tie as he swipes up to view his holoscreen. “He has been transferred to the overseas reconnaissance branch. He is not to contact any of us except to report his findings.” Johnny replies nonchalantly.

Mark can’t help but feel a mild sting in his chest. His best friend had left him when Mark needed him the most, and he didn’t even say goodbye. He knows it’s not Lucas’ fault; it’s just unfortunate timing, but he would’ve thought that his best friend would’ve at least tried to sneak in a quick call or message even if he hadn’t been allowed to notify anyone of his abrupt departure.

“Môlos,” Johnny interrupts Mark's train of thought. “Elektōr and Plectō have been free for too long. I'd like this to be taken care of soon.”

Mark swallows down the words he wants to say, hands clenched into tight fists by his side. “Yes, sir.”

  
  


ʕ•́ﻌ•̀ʔっ♡★

Jungwoo is as fun loving as Lucas. His voice has a soft soothing cadence to it despite his loud laughter, and he’s _hilarious_. Jungwoo is just who he needs at this time to distract himself from the pressing matters that have been keeping him awake at night, and he’s a good distraction from his best friend and Donghyuck. Plus, he’s a good agent too.

Jungwoo was assigned to solo missions right after his graduation, and Mark could see why. Quick witted, fast on his feet, always silently observing. Jungwoo’s abilities were perfect for solo missions— built like a rock, he was likely in charge of the more physically demanding missions. Mark would hate to be on the other side of Jungwoo’s attacks, because punches from a strength enhancer would _hurt._

Mark’s powers may be ranked higher, but Mark essentially had to resort to physical combat the majority of the time due to the number of restrictions on his specific ability on regular missions. Jungwoo’s ability is perfect for most cases, and Mark would've thought him a great partner too, if not for one _minor_ detail.

Jungwoo was great when doing his own thing, but he'd always be too busy doing something else during the crucial times where Mark needed his help. The silently observing part? Yeah, it seems as if Jungwoo was silently observing _him_. 

After the third filler mission where Jungwoo swooped in at the last minute when Mark seriously thought he was going to be grievously injured, Mark had had enough. He wanted to finish missions quickly with the best outcome possible, not barely succeed with the skin of his teeth. Jungwoo seemed to be observing whether Mark was actually trying, seeing how he’d do by himself— He seemed to be testing him, Mark realized eventually. If Jungwoo was going to be like this, it would've been better for Mark to not have a partner at all. Was Jungwoo given orders to do this? Or was this just a habit of being a solo agent?

With all the stress and allegations recently, Mark can't help but start having doubts. They were slowly poisoning his thoughts like vines insidiously crawling up the fortress of his mind, planting seeds of doubt.

It didn’t make it any better that he couldn’t find Chenle. He had asked around, and there was no sign of the boy anywhere. The last trace of Chenle was when Mark had dropped him off at NCT’s private medical ward.

Chenle was no longer officially his responsibility after he had found him, so Mark can’t spend his job time looking for him. Usually that wouldn’t dissuade him and he’d do it anyway (in his own spare time of course), but Jungwoo was following him around the agency, almost as if to report on his actions until he stepped out of Headquarters.

This doesn’t feel right. He grew up with NCT and has known many of the senior agents ever since their trainee days. They would never do anything suspicious or unethical… Right?

“Hey, Markie—” Jungwoo interrupts his thoughts as they walk down a hallway leading to one of NCT headquarter’s many exits after completing a mission (where Jungwoo had once again watched him during a close call).

“Can you tell me about the long term mission you were working on with Fȳren? I want to know more about Plectō and Elektōr so I can be ready when they strike again.”

There still hasn’t been any sign of Donghyuck since that night at the dorm. Mark doesn’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing— the distance has helped him reflect more clearly about their dynamic and Donghyuck’s motives, but he’s also hurting (and worried sick) from missing Donghyuck so much. After all, Donghyuck had just left the hospital last time Mark had seen him. Mark hopes he’s resting (why does he still care about him, he’s a _criminal_ ) and recovering, but knowing Donghyuck, he probably isn’t. 

It’s incredibly lonely living in the dorm by himself— He hadn’t realized how much Donghyuck’s presence contributed to making the place cozy and welcoming. With Donghyuck now on a long term leave of absence from school, the dorm is cold and silent, and Mark spends his days on the sofa wrapping himself in the blanket Donghyuck had left behind. It is comforting, and he lets himself drown in Donghyuck’s familiar scent, so much so that he can almost feel Donghyuck’s presence there with him. But Mark had been using it too much, and now the last indication of Hyuck in Mark's life was fading.

Mark doesn’t have any more tears to shed. He’s emotionally drained, lost, not sure where to go from here. Despite all the talking that night, Mark still has so many unanswered questions. Is Donghyuck going to continue on his night raids as Elektōr? Is he permanently terminating his post-secondary degree? Will he ever consider turning himself in? Mark genuinely doesn’t know how he'll react if he sees Donghyuck in that suit again.

But he still hasn’t answered Jungwoo’s question.

“Yes, sure. I’m assuming you’ve read their profiles and incident reports?”

“Mmhm, but that only has the basic boring information. I want to know what _you_ think about them.”

Mark almost freezes, but manages to catch himself. “That would all just be opinion and speculation though,” he replies carefully. “Are you sure you want my biased assessment?”

“That’s fine, the more information the better,” Jungwoo responds cheerily.

Mark feels his heart beat a little too fast to be normal. He needs to watch what he says or Jungwoo will be able to use his words against him.

“Well first of all, you need to know there’s a portal manipulator overseeing them both,” Mark starts explaining. “We’ve never seen them before, but I have seen Plectō and Elektōr communicating with them.”

“And then there’s Plectō, Elektōr’s partner on scene. My guess is that he’s an ability replicator. I think he’s the more responsible one between the two, always there to make sure Elektōr doesn’t do something reckless.” Mark smiles a little bitterly at that. “Elektōr still does though.”

“And Elektōr— he’s a big pain in the ass,” he continues. Donghyuck had left his ability on his ID blank, so Mark has no confirmation of his abilities. But based on what he’s seen… “I think he’s an electromagnetic manipulator. He really threw us off in the beginning since he only used his abilities for hacking and security, but he revealed more of his skill set in Code Blacks afterwards.”

Mark reminisces the first time he had met the duo in that apartment complex, when Mark had been a fresh-faced NCT agent ready to take on the world. “He throws in an insult whenever he can and always acts like he doesn’t take anything seriously.” Mark thinks back to the days when everything had been simple, only black and white.

“Seems like you hate him,” Jungwoo pitches in.

“I don’t think I hate him.” _I could never hate Donghyuck._ “I just don’t really understand him,” Mark replies as detachedly as possible.

Mark remembers the change in Elektōr after the second Code Black. That was the day Donghyuck had returned to the dorms completely broken. And now that Mark thinks back, Lucas might’ve known why. They had been unusually close that day, but Mark never got to ask because of everything that happened after, and now Lucas was gone.

Donghyuck had said many cryptic things which should make more sense now that Mark knew he was Elektōr. Mark feels like he almost has all the pieces to build a clear picture of what is going on, of who Donghyuck really is, but he isn’t sure if he’s ready to come to terms to his conclusion.

_My brother died because of NCT, because people like you wanted to uphold the social hierarchy._

_Just because you have good intentions doesn’t mean other people in NCT do._

_You’re so engrossed in your own sense of justice that you can’t even see who you’re working for._

_There are illegal experiments going on in NCT, and they’re causing all these Code Blacks. Can’t you see the higher ups are using you and your friends to clean up their dirty work?_

_Mark, you don’t even know Mr. Seo. I think your admiration for him is clouding your views of what you know and don’t know._

Mark swallows down the bile rising from his throat.

A blaring alarm sounds throughout the building, but is quickly cut off. Mark jumps a little at that, making eye contact with Jungwoo who seems to be as confused as he is.

“ _Security system down. Backup system loading,_ ” a robotic system replies as if an answer to their wordless query.

The lights flicker before returning back to normal, the brief second of complete darkness startling Mark a second time. Then an announcement unlike the usual pre-recorded ones is broadcasted by what sounds like a panicked announcer.

_“W-we currently have what seems to be three intruders in the building. Two intruders last seen in hallway 6 on the Interrogation floor. One intruder last seen in the Underground level. Arrest on sight. All agents not permitted to enter Underground should head to Interrogation immediately. All agents will be sent their profiles now.”_

Before Mark can react to the announcement, his (and Jungwoo’s) watch vibrates. He raises it, and to his shock and dismay, Elektōr’s signature grin is displayed on his screen. He scrolls frantically to find Plectō and a blurry photo of another person beside Elektōr taken probably moments ago before the lights turn off again and they’re permanently plunged into darkness.

_Donghyuck is here._

  
  


ʕ•̀ﻌ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


Donghyuck immediately starts sprinting and turns off all the security the moment he steps out of the portal. Alarms, off. Negation fields, off. Electronically locked gates, off. Cameras, off. They’re all shut off one by one as he continues sprinting down the long too white hallway. He runs past a room with a glass panel and he notices the alarm on the agents’ faces in passing. It doesn’t matter. He has somewhere to get to.

  
  


ʕ•̀ﻌ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


When Donghyuck had woken up in a hospital bed, he thought he was done for. But instead, he woke up to find himself unbound, not cuffed to the hospital bed like he had expected. He was here for stamina depletion (expected), and allegedly a psychosomatic fever. _That_ he had not known, but he’d like to think that was the reason for his subpar performance as of late. And Jaemin was by his bedside, looking like he hadn’t slept for a week.

“It’s because Môlos recognized you, Hyuck,” Jaemin had said, voice hoarse. “I don’t know what he’s thinking, maybe he’s feeling conflicted right now, maybe he’s planning an arrest, I don’t know.”

Donghyuck had to stop his racing heart from alerting the nurses. The beeping of the heart rate monitor was distracting, a reminder of Donghyuck’s predicament. If Lee recognized him, then Donghyuck must’ve known him too.

 _Donghyuck, please be careful about the people around you,_ Xuxi’s warning had returned to his mind like a recurring migraine that had been hiding under the surface the entire time. So Xuxi’s warning was literal, Donghyuck had realized bitterly.

“I used my tracking abilities on him,” Jaemin replied. “As long as I’ve seen them before, I can track them for as long as my stamina allows me to.”

So Jaemin did find out who Lee was. Donghyuck knew that whoever it was, he was going to get hurt. And after finding out what happened to his brother, Donghyuck was too emotionally drained to feel anything anymore. No time better than now when he was already hurting (even though he was starting to heal, it’ll be a shorter fall).

“I was so angry and desperate, Hyuck. I thought Môlos was going to report your identity right away, so I thought I should atleast get back at him with some leverage. So I followed him that night. And he was living on campus, Hyuck.”

“He was living in your dorm.”

Donghyuck had closed his eyes then to stop the silent tears from spilling. He was tired, so so tired. Life really liked to mess with people in funny ways, didn’t it?

And that darn vital signs monitor kept beeping, faster than the last.

“I recognized him when he took his mask off. I’ve seen his photo before. It’s your boyfriend, isn’t it, Hyuck?”

All the times Donghyuck had taunted Mark Lee behind his mask, all the times he had injured him, had laughed in his face, only to return and seek comfort from him.

But Donghyuck had quickly pushed aside his initial sorrow. He didn’t have time to think about how his Mark was Môlos when Jaemin and him were in danger of being captured at any moment’s notice. So he focused on getting discharged as soon as possible, to make sure to uphold his end of the promise with Lucas, to grab his things from the dorm. Anything but that.

And then he met Sicheng.

Sicheng had jumped out of his skin when Donghyuck came out of a portal into his lab the evening he was discharged.

“Shh, Hyung,” Donghyuck gave a quick look over to make sure he wasn’t running into a trap. This was dangerous, yes, and he was still recovering and should be resting, but he couldn’t bear to leave Sicheng with just a note like Xuxi had done. He couldn’t do that to Sicheng a second time.

“Donghyuck, are you alright? Your guardian— I think it was the Dongyoung you mentioned before— contacted me and said you were in the hospital. I was so worried.” Sicheng was rambling, both hands on Donghyuck and giving him a lookover. Donghyuck had almost teared up right then, because there was so much going wrong. This could very well be his last time on campus, his last time seeing Sicheng before he had to hide in the base like Jaemin and Injun had done for the last two years.

“I’m fine. See?” Donghyuck had put up a tired smile for Sicheng, because Sicheng wasn’t caught up in this mess, and Donghyuck didn’t need to endanger more people. Sicheng was one of the few people he cared about that wasn’t involved in this massive screwup of his.

“You don’t look fine, Donghyuck. Don’t lie to me,” Sicheng’s eyebrows were furrowed, and Donghyuck had wished that he didn’t worry everyone around him all the time. But this was his mess, and he had to fix it.

“Sicheng, promise me you’ll keep the things I tell you tonight a secret,” Donghyuck changes the topic. He knows he’s not fine, but he doesn’t need Sicheng to be a catalyst to his breakdown.

“I promised your brother that I’d protect you, but I messed up and I can’t be here anymore.” Donghyuck swallows. 

Donghyuck couldn’t bear to tell Sicheng that Xuxi was likely captured and could possibly be dead in a moment’s notice. 

Sicheng gasped, but Donghyuck continued on before his mentor could speak.

“I’m taking an extended leave from school. I don’t know when I’ll be back.” Sicheng’s eyes were full of fear, hands gripping Donghyuck tightly as if he was afraid Donghyuck would slip from his fingers and disappear at any moment.

“But I’m keeping my promise. Okay? Even if you might not be able to contact me— just know I’m here for you, always.” 

Donghyuck looked at Sicheng for what could possibly be the last time as he let go of his mentor, his friend, his brother.

“Wait—” Sicheng had grabbed Donghyuck’s hand, and Donghyuck had wished he didn’t have to part this way. Sicheng must’ve been hurting as much as him, seeing his second brother leave him for the second time.

“Yukhei is in danger, isn’t he? And you’re in danger too.” Sicheng stated without hesitation.

Donghyuck couldn’t speak, his throat constricting with all the pain and sorrow that he had shelved away.

“I can’t say I know what’s going on, but I want you to stay safe, alright? I want to see you again one day,” Sicheng smiled sadly, the whites of his eyes carrying a suspicious glint under the moonlight.

Donghyuck had all but thrown himself at Sicheng then, his head nestled into Sicheng’s tattered lab coat. Fine, he shed a few tears and made some ugly crying noises, had stayed too long for it to be safe, but he didn’t know when he’d be able to hug him again.

And Sicheng let him, holding Donghyuck tightly, soothing him like any older brother would. 

Donghyuck missed Taeil, missed the moments he never got with his own brother. That he got with Sicheng.

When Donghyuck had met Sicheng, he never knew how much Sicheng would mean to him. They were both missing their brothers and found solace in each other. Donghyuck will never be able to tell Sicheng how grateful he was for being a brother-figure in his life.

But time was short, and it was too dangerous for him to be in one spot for too long. So he had to peel himself away from Sicheng’s hold as he looked at his mentor for what could possibly be the last time.

“Sicheng— Can you promise me you won’t tell anyone you saw me tonight?”

Sicheng nodded. “I won’t.”

“Trust nobody. Even the ones you think you can believe in,” Donghyuck had shook his head at the thought, realizing it was probably more for himself.

“Thank you, Sicheng, for making my first year so memorable. I thought of you as my friend, as my brother.”

Donghyuck swore to himself that he’d hold himself together, at least until Xuxi and Chenle were found, but he had already failed after his first task. He then told himself that he definitely, _definitely_ could not cry for his next task, but that all fell apart when Mark came into his room looking like he’d gone to hell and back.

Oh, that didn’t mean Donghyuck sugar-coated his answers. He meant every single word he said that night.

It was ugly, but Donghyuck knew that. He bared all his wounds and emotional hurt like a cornered animal who had lashed out because it was the only thing it could do.

But he _was_ cornered. Mark was part of NCT, and to make matters worse, was the very agent he had been conversing with, who he had thought was still trying his best to make things right for people despite his reluctance to see the holes in his defense for his agency.

Donghyuck didn’t think Môlos was a bad guy. He didn’t expect Môlos to think the same of him, but he had hoped that the agent didn’t at least think he was doing things out of pure maliciousness.

Donghyuck doesn’t know what Mark thinks of him anymore.

He’s accepted the big possibility that Mark and him will never see eye to eye. But they still need to get Xuxi and Chenle out of NCT, with or without Mark.

Hence this plan they’ve formed, an admittedly reckless one involving all his teammates charging full frontal into possibly one of the most fortified buildings in Korea.

This isn’t like his usual heists. If he fails, if he fails his friends—

They definitely would not make it out alive.

ʕ•̀ﻌ•́ʔっ♡☀

  
  


“Security system down. Backup system loading.” A robotic voice calls throughout the building.

The lights flicker and more announcements begin.

_“W-we currently have what seems to be three intruders in the building. Two intruders last seen in hallway 6 on the Interrogation floor. One intruder last seen in the Basement. All agents not authorized to enter the Basement should head to Interrogation. All agents will be sent their profiles now. Arrest on sight.”_

Donghyuck clicks his tongue in frustration. He might as well just shut off the energy source completely to make his life easier then. He furrows his brow in concentration, and then they’re plunged into darkness.

“Elektōr, save your energy.” Injun says sternly.

Injun’s right. Donghyuck shouldn’t expend all his stamina right in the beginning. He’s mostly recovered now, Jaemin and Injun making sure he’s getting as much rest as he can for the past week after being discharged. Still, he should take it easy when they’ve only just started.

“It’s okay.” He raises his wrist, showing Injun the small lights glowing on his bracelet as they turn a corner. “I’m still at about 80%, I’ll just keep everything off until we get to Xuxi.” Keeping them off will drain his energy, but Injun opened the portal at that specific location to minimize the distance so they should be there any moment now.

Xuxi’s last location before the raid is right at the end of this hallway. Donghyuck lets the lights turn back on, refusing to lose any momentum and instead resorting to slamming his body against the door. He almost falls over when the door opens with Injun right behind him, but he manages to stop to a halt to take in his surroundings.

The room, just like the rest of the building, is incredibly bright, covered completely in white and cold materials. Unblemished. The sudden shift from complete darkness to blinding white has Donghyuck squinting to readjust.

But in the center is Xuxi, unconscious and sitting bound on a metal chair in the middle of the room with dark patches of blood.

Donghyuck gasps, rushing to his side as Injun takes out the laser Dongyoung had made specifically for this occasion and gets to removing Xuxi’s handcuffs.

“Xuxi, what did they do to you?” Donghyuck tries to get Xuxi to wake up to no avail. There’s so much blood— mostly from his head, and other minor cuts and bruises all over. Who still uses physical violence to interrogate people? That was barbaric and uncalled for when NCT definitely had people with lie detection abilities. At least get someone to heal him! Were they planning on leaving him here to bleed out?

Donghyuck quickly raises two fingers to Xuxi’s neck. There’s a short moment of fear where he thinks he’s too late, but then he feels a pulse. Weak, but still there. Donghyuck lets out a shaky breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding when the clatter of the cuffs hitting the floor interrupts and Xuxi falls forward towards Donghyuck.

Fuck, Xuxi was too heavy. Injun opens a portal, and Donghyuck’s just about to get Injun to help him carry Xuxi when a familiar voice calls out.

Donghyuck can only swivel his head around before he stops in his tracks.

“Don’t move!” Mark rushes in, hand aimed in Donghyuck and Injun’s general direction. 

The glare that was originally in Mark’s eyes is quickly cast away, replaced with astonishment. Probably not at seeing him, not with the announcement that was blaring throughout the entire headquarters. It’s probably seeing Xuxi bleeding out in Donghyuck’s arms. Hopefully Mark didn’t know this was happening to his best friend, or Donghyuck’s impression of Mark is going to plummet.

Donghyuck rises slowly. “Mar—”

Mark breaks the chair Xuxi had been sitting on and presses a sharp piece against Donghyuck’s neck.

“Don’t. Move.” Mark reiterates, voice cold.

Jaemin announces in his earpiece that he’s found Chenle, and Donghyuck swallows the building anxiety rising from his chest, the edge of the broken shard cutting him as the blood trickles down slowly.

They’re at a standstill. Donghyuck really doesn’t know what Mark will do. Will Mark ignore his partner who’s bleeding out beside him to arrest Donghyuck? That follows Môlos’ M.O.

But this is also Mark, who undoubtedly would rush to his best friend’s aid.

Something needs to move, someone needs to budge, or Donghyuck and Injun are going to get arrested. Mark alone is his only chance. Donghyuck swallows again, loud enough that Mark can probably hear.

But Mark has made his intentions clear. The shard pointed against his neck is a harsh reminder of that. Mark has made his decision. And all of them will pay for it.

Jaemin could come and help them, but he might not make it in time for when the rest of the agents scattered all over the Headquarters rush in.

There isn’t much he can do except beg and silently hope that Mark has even an ounce of pity for his best friend.

  
  


ʕ•́ﻌ•̀ʔっ♡★

  
  


Mark’s eyes flit back and forth between Lucas and Donghyuck, trying to grasp the situation while he has Donghyuck and his anonymous partner frozen with a shard against their necks.

“Mark, please,” Donghyuck looks, _pleads_ , desperation obvious in his eyes. “He needs to get medical treatment, if you keep him here he’s going to die.”

The imagery reminded him so much of the last time he had seen Elektōr, when he had asked Mark to trust him and let him have Chenle.

And where was Chenle now?

Mark once again switches his focus between the desperation in Donghyuck’s eyes and the unconscious Lucas who Donghyuck had been trying to hold up. There’s so much blood, and the usually vibrant and active Lucas, the Lucas who slaps him too hard on the back, who is as stealthy as a large lumbering attention seeking puppy, is unmoving, and that _scares_ him.

Mark can feel his will wearing thin, corroding his loyalty. He must be out of his mind to even consider letting Donghyuck go.

But Lucas was supposed to be dispatched outside of Korea, not bloodied up, and likely interrogated with some clearly illegal methods.

Mark got along with Lucas, enjoyed partnering with him because no matter how rambunctious he was, Mark trusted Lucas to fight for the same cause as him and to have his back when they were fighting against criminals. Lucas was an agent for the same reasons as Mark; to protect the country and its people.

“Let me,” Mark says quietly as he starts heading towards Lucas before he even realizes what he’s doing. There’s only one explanation for Lucas unconscious in an interrogation room, but Mark doesn’t want to think about that yet— he needs to help his best friend first. Lucas is an NCT agent, and it isn’t illegal or wrong to fix up his partner (he tries to convince himself).

Mark keeps the shard pressed against Donghyuck’s neck, so Donghyuck is frozen mid crouch as Mark passes by him to heal Lucas’ injuries. Mark self studied medicine extensively in his free time ever since the first Code Black he participated in (which he now is immensely grateful for), as his eyes glow green and the large gash on Lucas’ head starts to close like magic.

The other person Mark has at a standstill with another shard against their neck is currently glaring daggers at him, which he dutifully ignores in favour of making sure any other injuries he may have missed are healed.

The large wounds are all closed now, but he can’t replenish the blood Lucas has lost. His friend needs rest. And if the agency finds him…

Mark ignores how his hands tremble as he rests it on Lucas’ shoulder, giving his friend a final glance over. The other hand, with a quick gesture, drops the shards against Donghyuck and his partner’s necks, shattering the silence as it clacks loudly onto the floor.

He’ll deal with the consequences later.

“Go,” Mark replies hoarsely as he starts to feel the energy shift under his fingertips.

Mark can feel Donghyuck’s stare from behind him in disbelief, but then the footsteps start getting louder.

“GO!” He repeats more urgently, and Donghyuck finally moves, nodding as he and Not-Plectō carry Xuxi into the portal.

The moment they disappear out of sight, Mark closes his eyes and everything within a 10m radius cracks. He lifts all objects within the area and smashes them hard onto the ground, and Mark, now slightly dizzy from the amount of power he had just exerted in one go, falls to one knee.

He’s just made it a little bit more difficult for anyone to enter the interrogation room. He knows it won’t do much except give them an extra few seconds, but it’s enough.

Jungwoo still manages to barge in soon after, crashing his shoulder violently into the barricaded door, but his hand is gentle when he places it on Mark's shoulder. Mark continues staring at the where the portal had originally been, keeping his poker face intact so as not to scream about what he had just done.

“They escaped through a portal,” Mark lets out, voice breathy. 

“Don’t worry about it, Mark.” Jungwoo pats his shoulder and gives it an encouraging squeeze. “You tried your best.”

Mark closes his eyes, swirling in his thoughts. He’s made up his mind, even if it weighs heavily on his heart.

Jungwoo is looking at him in concern now, so Mark returns a somewhat grim smile as he slowly stands back up. He has to close his eyes to try to make the vertigo go away, and he reopens them to find more agents in the room. Ten, Jay, and a bunch of trainees rush in only to find the room a mess with no targets to be seen.

“What on earth is going on here?” Jaehyun commands the room immediately, and everyone looks towards Mark. He’s the only one who was originally in this room after all.

“I’m sorry, sir. Two of the targets were here, and they escaped with the captive.” Mark knows his own reputation among NCT. Everyone knows he graduated from the agent program with the highest marks in history. Everyone here recognizes him as the ambitious trainee who could one day lead the organization. And here he is, having lost two of the targets amidst the massive witch hunt conducted in NCT’s very own headquarters.

Everyone knows it was the kid Mark had brought back that caused the earthquake. That was the first prominent stain on his record (if failing to catch two petty criminals for almost a year isn’t bad enough already), and those rumours still haven’t died down yet. 

And now all of the most talented agents were concentrated in one building, and none of them could catch the infiltrators. And Mark, allegedly the one that could possibly follow in Johnny’s footsteps, failed spectacularly for everyone to see.

“I’m really sorry that I failed. I’ll take responsibility.” Mark bows towards Jaehyun even if he knows he doesn’t need to. But only he knows what he’s really sorry for.

He’s failing his parents and his seniors. He’s failing Jaehyun who trained him. He’s failing as a role model for all the trainees who look up to him. 

But most of all, he’s failed as a loyal agent of NCT.

Mark continues staring at his boots, neck straining as he overhears the whispers among the growing crowd of agents and trainees.

“Môlos,” Jaehyun says gravely, and that effectively shuts up the gossiping. “I think you’ll have to talk to Mr. Seo about this.”

“Understood, sir.” Mark replies, finally releasing himself from his bow.

He keeps his head held high as he heads out of the room even amongst the stares of his colleagues and fellow trainees. Jungwoo casts a weak smile at him, but he doesn’t have time to acknowledge it as he passes by. He can’t trust anyone in the agency now. If what Donghyuck has been saying was right all along, anybody could be a traitor (to the people, because technically _he’s_ the traitor now).

Everyone he had thought were his friends and family were now covered in a veil of distrust. Mark has to do this alone.

_Donghyuck — Don’t you dare prove to me that I’ve put my trust in the wrong person._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!! Finally!! Mark is starting to open his eyes [t7s starts playing in the background]
> 
> Also I don't think I can keep up the monthly update schedule either, so I'll have to apologize ;-; My writing speed has slowed to a snail's halt when school was happening, and even though I have another chapter written out the rest is not so I would at least like to write one more before posting the next one ><
> 
> As always, feedback/comments are appreciated!
> 
> [my twt](https://twitter.com/2amcoffeerants) | [my cc](https://curiouscat.me/2amcoffeerants)


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